The former Kiawah Island Club executive chef dishes on her return to Magnolias, where she cut her culinary teeth decades ago, and her plans for the stalwart downtown eatery
CM: How did you get into cooking?
KF: I loved watching my dad make breakfast on Sunday mornings; it piqued my interest. I waited tables when I attended the University of South Carolina and hated it. I saw all the back-of-the-house people listening to music and cutting up while peeling shrimp, so I asked to be moved. I went to the Culinary Institute of Charleston back in the day when there were only six people in every class and three of them were ladies trying to get their baking and pastry certification. The instructors were able to spend a lot of time with each student. I graduated in 2004, but I’ve been in working in kitchens since 1999.
CM: Tell us about your original stint at Magnolias.
KF: I started as a line cook in November 2003 during my second year of culinary school. I fell in love with the staff, the culture, and the family atmosphere. I didn’t have any family here, and they became mine. Two years later, when a sous chef walked off the job, I asked if I could take his place, and I kept that job for two years. Then, I was chef de cuisine for eight years. By 2015, I was executive chef.
CM: Why did you leave Magnolias?
KF: My husband and I were wanting to start a family, and I got the job offer out at Kiawah, which would let me have some work-life balance. I helped open Mike Lata’s B-Liner and then, after about three months, I became executive chef for the entire River Course Clubhouse, including weddings, golf tournaments, and large events. At Kiawah, I was able to hone my craft, and I became a stronger chef and manager because of it.
CM: Why the return?
KF: Don Drake [culinary arts director for Hospitality Management Group, which owns Magnolias] came to me and said he was going to retire. He’s been there for more than 30 years! I remember being 25 and saying that I wanted his job some day. Some of the people who raised me are still there, and I am intrigued to embrace the legacy while making positive changes.
CM: How is the downtown vibe different from Kiawah?
KF: I can feel the excitement of going back downtown. It feels like 100 miles per hour!
CM: What will the menu look like under Kelly Franz?
KF: I want to stay true to customer favorites and, at the same time, elevate dinner and private dining menus with methods of preparation and seasonality—to add my signature to a well-known product.
CM: Is there one menu item that you’d never remove, or is it all up for grabs?
KF: If I removed some of the staples—like the fried green tomatoes, the Down South egg roll, or the crab bisque—there would be a mutiny. They sell 40 gallons a week of that soup! Oh, and the collard greens; they are incredible.
CM: What’s the key to keeping Magnolias relevant?
KF: Consistency is the key to its success. If you came 20 years ago and ordered one of the staples, it’s exactly the same. But it’s a huge menu; there are a host of dishes that can change seasonally to keep up with the downtown scene. Balancing the old with the new is the way.
