Meet Joe Nierstedt | Restauranteur & Food Concept Magician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joe Nierstedt and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joe, what matters most to you?
Quality. The quality of output and adhering to high standards makes a difference. In the long run, quality always costs less, even if you think that the time or product that you put into it is more expensive. This is because you don’t have to look over your shoulder or pay the price of things breaking, cleaning up messes, and all of the other risks that people forget about when you cut corners. Do it right the the first time – it is good for your soul and for your wallet.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My work ethic and ability to stop and find gratitude in every day life have fueled my success. I balance between risk taking and safety nets. Some steps have been easy and the path appeared effortlessly in front of me and other decisions have required wrestling for weeks or months. There is no one size fits all answer. Easy or hard is a state of mind. Everything has its problems, but we all have the option to choose which types of problems we can and want to handle.

I believe in merging creative quality food in a way that makes it accessible to people every day. You can have a chicken sandwich that is just a chicken sandwich or you can take the time to cultivate the best combination of spices, heat levels, and texture with the ingredients readily available to you. I like to add beauty to common things and leave things better than how I found them.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Which city? I spend most of my time in Charleston, SC. I would take them downtown and to have a meal on the water at one of the beaches/on a local island. If near Kiawah Island, I would suggest they stop at Kinfolk for some fried chicken and at the Hemingway for some world class coffee or to browse their wine selection. As they wander into town, check out Wild Olive or Royal Tern. Walk down King Street and then wander to the smaller streets nearby to take in the local history and find some of our somewhat hidden alleyways.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My most recent and influential appreciation goes to my girlfriend and life partner who has taught me about the importance of being open and raising my standards in the last few years. She has taken an active interest in my life and goals and encouraged me to think differently and bigger about the world around me. She has reminded me that if others can do it, so can I. When someone sees you at your best, you start to see you at your best and amazing things happen.

Website: www.joenierstedt.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/kinfolkchs

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/joenierstedt