South Carolina-inspired restaurant went from small delivery service to thriving eatery in Corona

CORONA, Calif. (KABC) -- The food at Chef2TheBone is made with love, and owners Reginald and Chavé Stewart say that love is for the community of Corona, which has wrapped its arms around this couple.

"Our community is giving back to us, so it really does feel good," Chavé said.

The husband and wife duo started their business inside their home in 2018. Chef Reggie cooked up Southern inspired dishes, a reflection of his South Carolina roots. The two drove from Upland to Riverside to deliver meals.

"We went from five to 10 plates, to 50 to 60 plates all over the Inland Empire," Chavé said.

When COVID lockdowns went into effect, their Inland Empire business soared. Hundreds placed orders for chef's famous fried seafood, macaroni and cheese, collard greens and gumbo.

"It can be very humbling but we just believed in the brand so much and what we could do. And it paid off. It took us six years to finally get the brick and mortar," Chavé said.

You can order your fish fried or blackened, and you can eat it piled high atop of crinkly fries or do The Whole Chabang.

The massive Mo'boy will fill you up on fried snapper and shrimp. Plus, the Kaboom shrimp will have you coming back for more. Pro-tip: Ask for the Carolina barbecue sauce. Chef Reggie makes all of the sauces from scratch.

Chef Reggie says the community of Corona has helped them go from delivering meals out of their car, to this rewarding restaurant.

"This is our life, you know, we love it. We love the brand. This is our passion. So for people to enjoy it, it feels great. It feels great to be of service and for people to appreciate the service," he said.

Chef2TheBone is located at 641 N. Main St. Suite 101 in Corona. They're closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Thank you Angel Brown of Corona for the submission!

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