An Atlanta native and a graduate of the University of Georgia, Aaron “Fiery Ron” Siegel moved to NYC after college to follow his passion for cooking and attend The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. After completing an internship at Atlanta’s Nava under acclaimed Chef Kevin Rathbun, he graduated with his culinary degree and moved to Aspen, Colorado. There, Aaron worked as a sous chef at two of the most popular “white table cloth” restaurants — Pinion’s and Cache Cache — and became intrigued with the idea of combining traditional processes and techniques of classical cuisine with the simplicity of comfort food, BBQ, and Southern fare. He returned to the South and was hired by the Hospitality Management Group Inc. (HMGI) as the Executive Chef at Blossom Café in downtown Charleston where he worked for several years. Aaron worked closely with Executive Chef Craig Diehl at sister restaurant Cypress where he learned more about smoking meats and developing a charcuterie program. During this time, he began to scout locations for his barbeque concept and in 2006, together with partners Taylor Garrigan, Tony McKie, and Madison Ruckel, opened Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ in West Ashley. With years of hard work and dedicated service in the Charleston community, came the opportunity to expand for Home Team BBQ’s partners, with a location on Sullivan’s Island in 2009, a location in downtown Charleston in the spring of 2016, and at the base of Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen, Colorado in the winter of 2016.

After a stint at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Taylor Garrigan wanted to change career paths. In 1998, he began cooking with his brother chef Todd Garrigan and executive chef and owner Harold Marmelstein at Dick & Harry’s in Atlanta. He moved to Colorado to work a ski season in Crested Butte before deciding to take his cooking skills to the next level. He moved to Charleston, and enrolled at Johnson & Wales University. During this time, he worked as a line cook at Magnolias and then worked at Middleton Plantation. After graduating with a degree in hotel and restaurant management, he was hired at The Beach Club at Kiawah Island as a cook and worked with chefs including Paul Tensly and Tom Colicchio. In 2005, he was hired as a cook at FIG to work under renowned chef, Mike Lata. Taylor and Aaron met, became great friends, and together worked on the concept for Home Team BBQ. Once open, Taylor served as the sous chef at the West Ashley location and then moved to Sullivan’s Island when it first opened to act as Executive Chef. He has quickly worked his way up to Executive Chef/Partner over all Home Team BBQ restaurants. In June 2015, Taylor won Episode 13 of Season 23 of Food Network’s Chopped.

A Penn State graduate, Sean moved to Charleston in 2003, attracted by its growing culinary reputation. In his native Pennsylvania, Sean had worked with some of the best, including Big Burrito Restaurant Group, and was interested in building a career in the South. His first job in Charleston was at the REV group’s restaurant Poe’s Tavern. He then helped open REV’s next restaurant, Monza. In 2009, he joined Home Team BBQ to open the Sullivan’s Island location where he first served as the General Manager and Operating Partner. He is now also a partner of the downtown Charleston and Aspen, CO locations, and can be seen on the floor at any of the locations daily.

Originally from Augusta, Georgia, Tony entered the Food & Beverage business at an early age, securing all Front and Back of House positions in his formative years. Formal training in service, customer relations, and management followed, while working in his hometown courtesy of extended employment at French Market Grille, Taste of NOLA, Cafe DuTeau, and Cadwalladers Cafe. Shifting focus to the bar scene after college, McKie managed hospitality and stage production for many national, regional, and local touring artists. Deciding to relocate from Atlanta in 2001, where he had grown tired serving as Technical Administrator for Fresenius Medical Care, ‘TMc’ (as his friends know him) went back to the basics working in Charleston for the Hospitality Management Group at Magnolias and Home Grown Hospitality at TBonz. Needing more, and to feed his love of BBQ, Bourbon, and live Blues, he knew he’d be right at home working with longtime friend Aaron Siegel in defining the soundtrack for Home Team BBQ. Beginning with the opening of the West Ashley store in 2006, McKie has served as Home Team BBQ’s only talent buyer since inception and worked his way up as Operating Partner for all Home Team BBQ operations.

As a young kid, Jonathan Banta got his first real experience cooking at a culinary arts summer camp in his hometown Pittsgrove, New Jersey. After earning a culinary degree from Johnson and Wales University, Jonathan began to build his culinary and management experience at Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Running Deer Golf Club in his home state of New Jersey. He moved to Philadelphia in 2001, where he worked with famed chef Jose Garces at Alma de Cuba. In 1998, he brought his talents to Charleston, taking a restaurant consulting position, and then working at 82 Queen and Rue de Jean. Most recently, Chef Banta served as Chef de Cuisine and General Manager at The Atlantic Room and Ryder Cup Bar in The Ocean Course Clubhouse. As Director of Culinary Operations for Home Team BBQ, he oversees special and charity related events, handling purchasing, streamlining culinary operations, and assisting with menu development.

A New York native, Adam Rothstein attended New York University during which time he split his time between classes and working in restaurants with the intent on pursuing a culinary education after his studies. While working as a busboy, Adam began studying wine in the hopes of earning a promotion. The study turned into a passion, and remained a focal point of his career in New York. Adam’s love of wine quickly expanded to include cocktails and craft spirits, and what had originally been intended to be a culinary career path had evolved into one in beverage. Over the next 11 years, Adam worked in various management positions in the front of house at some of New York City’s most celebrated cocktail bars and restaurants including Empellon Cocina, Il Buco Alimentari e Vineria, and most recently Seamstress. After visiting Charleston in 2012, Adam fell in love with the thriving hospitality and culinary community, moving permanently in December 2015. Adam joined Home Team BBQ for the opening of the Downtown location and oversees the bar and beverage programs, as well as all operations, throughout the restaurant group.

A native of New Jersey, Jamie Perillo has lived and worked in the Lowcountry since 1997. Jamie earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Non-Profit Arts Management from the College of Charleston, as well as an Associate’s Degree in Culinary & Hospitality from the Culinary Institute of Charleston. While attending school and even holding full time jobs in the non-profit Arts industry, Jamie always maintained a job in a restaurant, eventually realizing that it was her true passion. She is a veteran of Charleston staples Sticky Fingers and 39 Rue de Jean, where she rose through the ranks to Assistant General Manager. In her time outside of work, she enjoys traveling with her teardrop trailer and baking cakes. Jamie was hired as General Manager of Home Team BBQ in West Ashley in October 2013, where she led the team for 6 years. In the fall of 2019, Jamie’s hard work, dedication, and gift for excellent customer service led to her promotion as Service Director. In her current role, Jamie enjoys working with the staff and managers across all Home Team shops to maintain service quality and consistency.

Chris Lanter, friend and culinary pal of Aaron Siegel for many years, began his love for cooking at age 18 in Atlanta. He was working toward a History degree at the University of Georgia, when his cooking gig on the side at DePalma’s in Athens inspired him to pursue a culinary career. Having been exposed to the world of French cuisine and language as a child, it seemed fitting for Lanter to travel to France to improve his skills in the kitchen. After two years of working and learning in restaurants like Hôtel Commerce, Hôtel de la Marine, and Chez Toutoune, it was time to return to the states – back to Atlanta to be exact – where he worked at several restaurants, one being Ciboulette, under chef Mike Lata of Charleston’s FIG and the Ordinary. In 1997, Lanter packed up and moved out to Aspen, CO to continue his culinary career at such restaurants as in the Ritz Carlton, Campo de Fiori, and the Caribou Club under Chef Miles Angelo. His first executive chef position would be at Aspen’s Cache Cache, with Siegel working under him as sous chef for two years. Lanter currently resides as head chef at Cache Cache and is invested as a partner as well. In the winter of 2016, pals Siegel and Lanter came together to develop an opportunity to bring Home Team BBQ to the base of Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen, with Lanter in the kitchen as head chef and pitmaster to explore the world of low and slow barbecue, a new welcomed culinary challenge for the experienced chef.

A South Carolina native, John followed his passion for entertaining and cooking and enrolled at Johnson and Wales University to study culinary arts. During his internship at Sun River Resorts in Oregon, he got to experience catering at a whole new level. He learned as much as he could while there, working small to very large corporate events, and used his southern hospitality to impress many in the Pacific Northwest. Upon returning to South Carolina, he entered the food and beverage industry in fine dining. Working his way through the ranks until becoming Executive Chef for several different restaurants in Columbia. Missing his catering event experiences, he started working at Forest Lake Club with the planning and production for their onsite events. Several years later he was hired to execute events for Tronco’s catering, the largest caterer at the time. While there he started planning and executing production for many large corporate events and oversaw the whole operation. Upon moving back to Charleston, he took a job with the REV/RERUN hospitality group as kitchen manager/ culinary trainer. This kept him busy moving around several different restaurant concepts fine-tuning the daily operations and training new culinary managers. In 2015, he became a member of the culinary team at Home Team BBQ Sullivan’s Island. When an opening occurred in the catering department for Home Team it was a match made in heaven. He quickly organized and helped streamline the catering procedures for development and growth. Now that we have six locations involving catering and events, he became the catering operations manager for the company and hasn’t looked back since. The opportunity to become director of catering and special events opened in 2022 and he was clearly ready for the next challenge. He continues to improve our catering and special events department wherever needed. You will see him at events ensuring everything is running smoothly with a big smile on his face.