It’s officially been one year since Craig Conover and Austen Kroll opened the doors to their Charleston hotspot, By The Way, and the celebration was exactly what Bravo fans would expect. The “Southern Charm” stars rang in the milestone with flowing cocktails, a packed crowd, and plenty of familiar faces — proving the restaurant is very much a cast-approved success.
‘Southern Charm’ Stars Celebrate By The Way’s First Birthday
Several members of the “Southern Charm” cast gathered on Sunday, Dec. 14, to celebrate By The Way’s first birthday. Salley Carson, Charley Manley, Molly O’Connell, Whitner Slagsvol, and Rodrigo Reyes posed for a group photo with the restaurateurs, which Salley shared on Instagram.
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Celebrating By The Way’s first birthday with my dysfunctional family,” Salley wrote in the caption — a description that felt perfectly on brand.
According to the restaurant’s Instagram page, the night focused on thanking both the staff and loyal guests who helped make the first year a success. The team praised employees for “pouring [their] heart into every shift” and thanked patrons for making By The Way part of their “meals, moments, and memories.”
Photos from the celebration showed guests dressed to the nines, complete with top hats, elevated bites, and cocktails flowing all night. As the evening went on, the space filled up fast, with several attendees grabbing the mic to share kind words about the restaurant.
After the party wrapped, By The Way shared a message of gratitude of its own. “Last night was a reminder of why we do what we do,” the business posted. “Outrageous amounts of caviar, foxy cocktails, and one heck of a crowd. Thank you to our team and our guests for making BTW feel like home.”
What Craig and Austen Have Built — And What’s Next
Craig and Austen opened By The Way in December 2024 after years of talking about launching something together in Charleston. Austen previously told Bravo’s The Daily Dish, “It’s always been a dream of ours to open up something in Charleston. What could be more fun than to open up something like this with one of your best friends?”
Craig shared a similar vision, explaining that the goal was to invest locally while creating a space they’d actually want to hang out in themselves. “Why not give them a space that we would enjoy hanging out at, too?” he said.
The success of By The Way quickly led to another joint venture. Over the summer, the ‘Pillows and Beer’ podcast hosts announced The Waverly, an all-in-one Charleston wedding venue. “It only made sense to join forces again,” Craig shared at the time, while Austen teased bringing “that same energy and vision” to Charleston’s event scene.
Individually, both remain busy. Austen recently expanded his Trop Hop brand with a non-alcoholic THC-infused cooler, while Craig’s Sewing Down South launched a new holiday decor and apparel collection. As Craig put it during the Waverly announcement, “Big things keep happening.”
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