DiBernardo cofounded the Holy Smokes barbecue festival, which has raised more than $280,000 for MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House to support families affected by pediatric brain cancer.
Written By Lauren Brooks Johnson
Portrait By Taylor Jordan Krauser
A sermon and a son shaped Anthony DiBernardo’s heart. The first talked of the dash between one’s birth and death. “What’s that dash going to say about you?” he asks. Then, upon welcoming his son, Asher, 22 years ago, he learned that in the Bible, Jacob’s son Asher received the gift of providing delicacies fit for a king, which struck a chord with the longtime chef. “Everyone is given a gift—it’s what you do with yours that matters,” he says. “My gift is food.”
While the pitmaster behind award-winning barbecue joint Swig & Swine says he can’t personally donate thousands to every worthy cause, “I can cook a bunch of pigs and invite my friends to eat, and at the end of the day, write a huge check.” This fall, he did just that, teaming up with other restaurateurs and Hogs for the Cause to present $1 million to Prisma Health Children’s Hospital in Greenville. The Holy Smokes barbecue festival cofounder has also raised more than $280,000 for MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House of Charleston and pledged $10,000 to Fisher House Charleston, which offers lodging for the families of veterans receiving care at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center.
But the true taste of DiBernardo’s generosity is found in his everyday gestures: employing recovering addicts from Oxford House who need a second chance, hosting pop-up dinners to assist neighbors struggling with medical bills, or offering free lunches for veterans programs. When rising rent threatened to close the pay-what-you-can Destiny Community Cafe in 2021, DiBernardo graciously handed over the keys to one of his food trucks. “Anthony uses food daily to change the lives of other people,” says Swig & Swine catering director Mary Austin.
“A life of significance is about serving those who need your gifts, your leadership, and your service,” says DiBernardo, who started washing pots at age 12 and served four years as a Navy submarine cook before working his way through local restaurant kitchens and opening his own in 2012. “I’ve been in the service industry my entire life.”
