aboutus

Peter's culinary education began early. While still in middle school and high school, he studied under experienced culinary professionals and developed the strong technical foundation behind his creative approach to food. After graduating from high school early and earning his culinary degree, Peter traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland, for an international internship.

His talent later took him to an international food competition 
in Malta, where he earned first place and secured a position with Restaurant 36, a world-class European restaurant. After returning to the United States, Peter continued developing his skills in high-volume resort and restaurant operations throughout the East Coast.

Peter's experience extends well beyond the kitchen. He has extensive expertise in developing new restaurant concepts—from menu creation, pricing and kitchen design to operating systems, 
hiring, training and profitability.

His first major start-up venture was the opening of the dual concepts Rockwell's Kitchen & Tap and The Republic in Grand Rapids, Michigan. By the end of their first year, the restaurants were serving more than 800 guests daily, had exceeded performance and break-even projections, and had been recognized as Best New Restaurant in Grand Rapids.

Peter's success gained the attention of restaurant investors 
and ultimately brought him to Southern Pines in 2011 to open Southern Prime Steakhouse. He later worked with Ross Resorts and traveled to the Bahamas to develop another multimillion-dollar resort restaurant concept. Following that successful opening, Peter returned stateside and joined 
Kitty in creating the casual, chef-driven restaurant that became 
Chapman's Food & Spirits.

Kitty is a longtime Moore County resident whose hospitality career began at age 15 as a bus girl at Foxfire Country Club in 1979. Working under professionals with exacting hospitality standards taught her early that successful restaurants depend on much more than food—they require consistency, attention to detail and making every guest feel welcome.

She continued gaining experience at local hotels and resorts, including The Pine Crest Inn and The Carolina Hotel at Pinehurst Resort. In 1982, she joined the wait staff at Vito's Pizzeria, beginning a decades-long association with the restaurant. Kitty earned an excellent reputation among guests and eventually moved into a management position at The Villager Deli, a high-volume breakfast and lunch restaurant in Pinehurst.

Over the years, Kitty expanded her experience beyond restaurant service into management, human resources, payroll, accounting and financial analysis. In May 2006, she joined Sysco Foodservice as an outside sales consultant. For ten years, she worked closely with independent restaurant owners, chefs and managers to improve operations and achieve profitable results.

Kitty became a top-performing Territory Manager and was named the 2013 Sysco Associate of the Year. In 2016, she left Sysco to join Peter in developing and operating Chapman's Food & Spirits.

Chapman's success has never belonged to only two people. From opening day forward, it has depended on the dedication of the cooks, servers, bartenders, hosts, managers and support staff who bring the restaurant to life every day.

Our team has helped Chapman's grow from a new downtown restaurant into a recognized part of the Southern Pines community. Their hard work, personalities and commitment to our guests are behind every award, every busy service and every returning face.

We continue investing in Chapman's and in the people who make it successful. We have refreshed our patio and dining spaces, completely renovated our overflow dining room, and upgraded the equipment and systems that help our team do its best work.

The restaurant may continue to change, but its foundation will not: experienced ownership, a talented and hardworking team, creative chef-driven food, genuine hospitality and a deep appreciation for the community that has supported us from the very beginning.