Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Angela Marino. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Angela , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Growing up in the hills of Appalachia, traveling became a real passion of mine. I started at a very early age, leaving home at 17. After becoming a business owner at 21, I would travel every moment I saw possible. My goals in life centered around business and adventure. I loved both. Around ten years ago, I was on a Key West adventure around Thanksgiving when I literally tripped and fell into who is now my husband. Retiring in Key West was always something I knew I would do. I saw it many times over in my dreams. Seven years went by, when I realized the entrepreneur in me had not retired. Always traveling and loving Charleston-I set out to create a franchise dessert spot, realizing quickly it wasn’t a good fit. Something bigger was brewing. I was shocked to realize what I was actually always supposed to do was create The Honey Hive. It wasn’t meant to fit someone else’s mold, it was meant to break it. The name alone came to me in my dreams, as every business I’ve owned does. I remember walking through the very dark construction site at 563 King and realizing what a large bite I had taken out of life at that moment. Through construction during covid, social unrest in the city damaging the property to the sight of every business owner on King street coming together as one, I knew this was the right fit. I didn’t want to compete with my neighbors, they were already doing it beautifully. I did however want to fill a niche that was still void. Offering handmade late night food focusing on desserts made sense. Creating a beautiful space that brought honor to women of all walks of life now set in motion. Beautiful cocktails named after famous women in history, desserts that have an elevated beauty to them and savory bites that tempt even the most specific palate came to be what is now known as The Honey Hive.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Growing up in the mountains of Appalachia, you quickly learn what the beauty of fresh, homemade, made with love food tastes like. We always had a large garden, fresh eggs, poultry and meat from local farms. It was a staple. Creating this concept immediately called for a true culinary review of my childhood and the “fancy” I missed growing up. You believed there were bigger things out in the world, you just had not seen them yet. The Honey Hive as a brand, honestly formed itself. It was like it was waiting to be discovered. It lends itself to all things beautiful in a woman, in food and in atmosphere. Walling into the dessert experience alone is said to feel like love and a warm hug. Naming our signature honey soaked chocolate cake after my niece is just one sign you are surround by love and intention. The walls are draped with luxurious tones of gold, pink and crushed red. The floor was hand created by an uncle and his four nieces. The kitchen has a home grown turned french trained chef along with two very talented women pastry powerhouses. The place just feels like love and a woman’s intuition. .

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Resilience is one way of putting it, humbling is another. We were in the middle of the build out during covid in a town where I knew no one. I didn’t know who to call, who to ask for help or who to hire for what. I felt alone to say the least. I had created a “glass “ private room to add to the almost 4,000sq ft building. It would be for private parties, events, bachelorettes, or just anyone who wanted to celebrate in a big way.. The glass plates had been put in incorrectly three times at this point. I left and went to a meeting while they were putting it in for a fourth time. I came back, only to find it incorrectly installed, yet again. The gap in the glass made the room anything less than “sound proof”. My eyes filled up with tear of exhaustion, anger, and fear. Without missing a beat, I looked for the heaviest thing I could find. It happened to be a full paint can with Russian Navy Blue paint inside. I ran at the glass as hard as I could. I swung the paint can with all my might. The glass bent but did not break. The can top popped off and doused me from head to toe in dark navy paint. I sat in the puddle and sobbed. Anyone on site stood back in shock. I had never broken this way since the beginning. Through it all, not once. I heard a strangers voice behind me say” thats ok, I spill paint all the time”. It was a guy named Norm who I barely knew working on the mens bathroom. He helped me up, then directed my staff as to how we would get this cleaned up. I texted my neighbor who was directing building the fire station next door and ask if he could give me a ride to my condo in the back of his pick up truck. He came right over, with a towel draped over the passenger seat and said” Mrs angie, I would never put you in the back of my truck”. He waited on me to take a shower, then took me back to work. When I say there were more tears in my eyes that day than blue paint, I mean that. It taught me love and defeat can literally live in the same moment.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Growing clients for me is very simple. I think you stay consistent in this town, you keep everything motivated by your heart and you are not afraid to ask for the business. If I call in to pay my power bill, I ask the lady on the line if she has visited us yet. If I go to the bank, I bring dessert. If I am on the street , I ask a group of young women if they need help planning their weekend. If I am getting my hair done, I am talking loud enough for someone to ask me what dessert I just described and where can they get it. I treat Food and Bev in this town and every town the way I would want to be treated. I thank the Valets every time , not just when its raining. I see people as human just like me. Sometimes I just need a little eye contact and a smile and so do they. I will not stop until I feel that we are the Hall’s of desserts. I am driven by the love of what is inside those four walls and the hearts that make the walls breathe. I ask everyone to talk about their favorite moment while visiting. I asked how they have heard of us. I keep going back. I work along side my team and Im not afraid to look like I dont know the answer every now and then. Just be human. People relate to that.

Contact Info:

• Website: thehoneyhive.com
• Instagram: @thehoneyhivechs
• Facebook: thehoneyhivechs

Image Credits
Ashley Stanol