Bethany Heinze is the Co-Owner and Operations/Beverage Director at Vern’s, a modern American bistro located in downtown Charleston, SC. A Midwest native, Bethany was infatuated with Charleston’s vibrant culture and beautiful scenery from an early age and knew she would eventually put down roots in the Lowcountry. She later enrolled at the College of Charleston for her undergraduate degree, where she earned a double major in Hospitality Management and Business Administration and solidified her career path in the restaurant industry.
After working in several front-of-house positions and gaining hands-on experience in downtown Charleston’s bustling restaurant scene, Bethany accepted the position of Bar Manager at the formerly renowned McCrady’s restaurant in 2013. During her time there, Bethany gained invaluable skills and knowledge behind the bar and on the floor. Most importantly though, it was at McCrady’s where she met her now-husband and business partner, Chef Daniel (‘Dano’) Heinze. Excited to continue their professional growth together in the industry, the couple traded their views of the Lowcountry for the West Coast, and moved to Los Angeles, CA in 2016 to work with esteemed restaurateurs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo of Joint Venture Restaurant Group.
Bethany assumed the role of General Manager at Animal, a highly influential restaurant featuring nose-to-tail cooking in West Hollywood. She also assisted with the restaurant group’s expansion by serving as the Wine Director & Manager for the concepts Jon & Vinny’s and Helen’s Wines, a buzzy Italian American restaurant with a curated natural wine shop. In the fall of 2019, Bethany hit pause on restaurant work and traveled to Chablis, France to work harvest at Château de Béru, a biodynamic vineyard and winery. In 2020, Bethany returned to the United States and joined the team at Gjusta, an iconic all-day bakery & cafe in Venice Beach, where she served as the Front of House Manager.
In 2022, Bethany and husband Dano took a leap of faith and returned to Charleston to open their very own restaurant – Vern’s – a dream they had been working on for years. Here, Bethany oversees all operations and beverage programming. Her goal is to ensure that guests experience warm, attentive service and can select from a thoughtful beverage offering that compliments the seasonally driven menu. Exercising her passion for small-production wines, her program at Vern’s centers around sustainable farming with all selections following organic or biodynamic practices.
