The chef who won a chance to design and open her own restaurant in Burgaw has backed out of the plans, according to the organizer of the contest.
In October, Colorado chef Karoline Schwartz came out on top of what was originally a pool of more than 500 applicants. The contest was launched in 2023 by Richard Johnson and his Burgaw Now group as part of a larger effort to revitalize the Pender County town.
“Karoline did not accept our offer. … In my mind, she changed her mind,” Johnson said. “It’s a huge disappointment.”
Phone calls and emails to Schwartz haven’t been returned.
Johnson said he is still committed, though, to his original vision to bring more restaurants to Burgaw. Johnson had success in the tech and job recruitment industry before becoming what he calls a social entrepreneur. Among his efforts was to purchase empty buildings in Pender County. He helped restaurants like Burgaw Brewing and Fat Daddy’s Pizza get established there.
For the Own Your Own contest for a new restaurant space, Burgaw Now held events such as a Town Square Cook-Off to narrow the field of finalists to find a chef to launch a concept at 106-108 W. Courthouse Ave. Schwartz and chef Vincent Mangual of Brooklyn, New York, were the final two chefs who competed in a final event Oct. 29.