Local Culinary Social Media Club Caps $65k in Donations to Charleston Nonprofits

By Mark A. Leon

You may or may not know the TastemakersCHS, but chances are they have influenced some of your dining decisions in Charleston over the last several years. This group of passionate foodies and nonprofit lovers have taken the Lowcountry restaurant scene by storm as a result of the innovative vision of Charlotte Berger, who also serves as the Founder of CharlotteBergerPR – a 12-person marketing firm based right here in the Holy City.

What is TastemakersCHS

Charleston’s culinary social media club, TastemakersCHS (@TastemakersCHS on Instagram) connects local restaurants, influencers, and nonprofits together under one umbrella. The group has up to 45 members with a combined reach on Instagram of over 750k, and just capped over $65k raised for 25 local nonprofits– with missions ranging from helping to feed the homeless and end human trafficking to bettering education for children with special needs and providing fresh produce to underprivileged neighborhoods. 

As a relationship-focused, forward-thinking marketing and public relations strategist, Charlotte understands the power local influencers have over bringing vital and impactful attention to deserving restaurants and nonprofits.    

“I started the group in 2016 with two missions in mind. One- to provide top-notch social media promotion to Charleston’s restaurant community and let locals know about some great spots to eat and drink, and two- to bring funds and awareness to the city’s incredibly impactful (and under the radar) nonprofits. “I wanted to use the power of social media to go beyond just the typical ‘foodie’ content and dig deeper to use our combined following to give back to a city we all love so much.” – Charlotte Berger

What’s next for TastemakersCHS?

The group is now run by TastemakersCHS member turned manager Emma Waugh, who also serves as an Account Executive at Charlotte’s marketing firm, CharlotteBergerPR, and is the founder of @GirlEatsEverything. The group meets once a month at local restaurants, bars, breweries, and distilleries, and has partnered with over 80 Charleston spots to date, including the likes of 82 Queen, Ma’am Saab, Post House, Basic Kitchen, Sullivan’s Fish Camp, and more. As for TastemakersCHS’ Nonprofit Partnership Program, the group selects a new nonprofit every quarter, and all restaurants that host the group agree to pick one dish or drink from their menu and donate $1 of every order for 30 days to TastemakersCHS’ quarterly nonprofit partner. A representative from the nonprofit also attends the events, and speaks to TastemakersCHS members about their mission, so the team can in turn share info about things like volunteer opportunities, upcoming events and current critical needs with their followers.

A list of a few active TastemakersCHS members include:

• Emma Waugh, @GirlEatsEverything
• Jai Jones, @JaiEats
• Elise Devoe, @CookinwithBooze
• Vi Ton, @Hoangviton
• Katie Gerling, @SeasonsofKatie 
• Jeanna Baiocco, @Cloudywithachanceofvodka
• Allison Olawsky, @TheAllisonEdition
• Sarah Louise Rhodes, @TheSpritzEffect
• Narcisa Maura, @Narcisa.Maura 
• Leah Meszaros, @Leetle_Leaah
• Victoria Bowen, @HungryCharleston
• Erin Norcross, @erin_funfoodie

If you love supporting local restaurants and nonprofits or just love good food, consider giving these wonderful individuals a follow.

To Emma and Charlotte, who have found a way to use the power of social media to give back, and who have created a dynamic community that has helped so many, we are thankful to you.