Podcast Episode 21: Chevalo and Monique Wilsondebriano, Charleston Gourmet Burger Company

Get to know the Lowcountry’s local-independent business community, one changemaker at a time. “Small Talks, Big Ideas with Steve” is a podcast that features local business insights and updates, alongside interviews with members, sponsors, and supporters.

For our 21st episode, Steve sits down with Chevalo and Monique Wilsondebriano. They are the husband and wife team owners of Charleston Gourmet Burger Company & Recipe For Retail. They’ve taken their backyard homemade hamburger recipe and transformed it into a national brand that has hit the shelves of Walmart, Costco, Kroger, Whole Foods, World Market, Amazon, Macy’s and more.

Chevalo formerly worked for the FDNY EMS and was a World Trade Center First Responder on 9/11. Monique, a serial entrepreneur, was formerly a Retail Manager for Target and Lowe’s Corporation. Chevalo’s drive along with Monique’s eye for successful business opportunities led the duo to scale their company way beyond burgers. Chevalo and Monique have appeared on The FOOD Network, NBC’s The TODAY Show, Good Morning America, Disney Plus+, CBS World News and others. They’ve been featured on the cover of Black Enterprise magazine and received a multi page spread in Better Homes
and Gardens magazine.

Chevalo and Monique were regular on-air guests with their frozen burger line on QVC and won QVC’s “Customer Food Choice Award” on national television. They currently serve on Facebook’s Leaders Network and delivered a key business speech at Facebook’s Global Marketing and Solutions Summit in San Francisco. They take pride in giving back to the community by helping youth entrepreneurs and inspiring entrepreneurial goals.

In response to requests for mentoring, Chevalo and Monique founded the Recipe For Retail Training Program. The program takes anyone with a food or beverage recipe or idea through the process of development, packaging, manufacturing, all the way up to pitching to grocery stores.