Courage Leads Rohland To Big Bluffton Business Success

Leslie Rohland, the recipient of the inaugural Women in Business Award by the Greater Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, knows a thing or two about running a business, especially if it involves food.

The owner of several Bluffton businesses including The Cottage Café, Bakery & Tea Room; The Juice Hive; SideCar Catering; May River Coffee Roasters, and most recently, The Village Pasta Shoppe, Rohland embraces her businesses with the creativity and heart of an artist, rather than a corporate strategist.

Reflecting on her award, Rohland says, “It’s extremely validating, and it gave me a nice sense of inspiration.”

Her interest in food began in childhood.

“My dad is Pennsylvania Dutch, and my mom comes from a long line of Italians,” she says. Never formally trained as a chef, Rohland names her mother and both her grandmothers as her teachers. From them, she learned the basics of baking everything from Italian pastries to shoefly pie as well as how to whip up pasta dishes and staples like chicken and dumplings.

“My Dad was in the military, so I was raised as a military brat,” she adds, describing how her parents encouraged her to immerse herself in various cultures, languages, and food. “I used that when I created my first menu, adding things from every continent – like Thai lettuce wraps.”

Running a restaurant wasn’t Rohland’s first choice for a career, but as she pursued other dreams in New York City, she worked in several family-owned Italian eateries to pay the rent.

While visiting her parents in Savannah one Christmas, Rohland’s parents mentioned that they had talked to Bob Masteller, who was about to launch The Jazz Club on Hilton Head Island with Charles Swift.

Rohland interviewed and accepted an offer to manage the club in 1999, trading city life for the Lowcountry. For eight years, under the tutelage of Masteller and Swift, she learned every facet of the restaurant business.

When the economy crashed in 2008, Rohland lost her job but found the courage to strike out on her own.

“It was very traumatic,” recalls Rohland. “I loved my job, loved that company, but I was also tired of giving my ideas away.”

With a meager amount of savings, she decided to start a bakeshop in Bluffton.

“It was a big trend in NYC at the time and I figured how hard could it be?” Laughing at her naivety, she adds, “It’s really hard!”

She created the Bluffton Muffin Company and sold her products at the Farmers Market, where someone suggested she check out artist Amos Hummell’s studio that was on Calhoun Street.

“When I walked in, my super-creative brain went wild,” recalls Rohland. “I started plotting and planning, and basically within four weeks, I had a lease. It was like a vision and all the information came to me: Cook what you love. Bake what you love. Make it as charming as possible.”

She placed tables on the porch, bought a 1960’s bakery case from Savannah, and spruced up every room with a new coat of paint.

On October 15, 2009, a Farmers Market day, The Cottage Café, Bakery & Tea Room opened to a crowd of patrons eager to see the first restaurant in Old Town succeed.

“It’s been joyous ever since,” bubbles Rohland. “I absolutely love my job, love my staff, love what we do and who we are.”

The restaurant’s popularity continues to grow, making it a frequent recipient of awards such as Best of Bluffton (Shrimp & Grits), People’s Choice Award (Best Shrimp Recipe at the Beaufort Shrimp Festival) and the national Good Food Award (Culinary Excellence).

In 2019, Bluffton mayor Lisa Sulka even declared October 15th as “Cottage Day” in recognition of Rohland and her team’s efforts to bring the first viable business to Calhoun Street.

Pairing needs with solutions, Rohland’s business ventures grew.

“I got tired of buying bad coffee,” she laughs, “so I put myself through roasting school in Vermont and created May River Coffee Roasters. Then she trained herself to make wedding cakes. After a favorite customer became ill, she opened The Juice Hive. The Emporium, an extension of The Juice Hive, opened as the first vitamin shop in the area but now is a health and food boutique, while The Pasta Shoppe fell into her lap thanks to a conversation with the former owner as both women took trash to the garbage bin.

All of it was done with intention.

“Sitting still and meditating guides me, gives me ideas,” explains Rohland, “but I need to wait for the right timing.”

Taking her commitments seriously, she rotates time between all her businesses, even cooking in the kitchen on Sundays at the café.

As for future endeavors, she shrugs, “I’m sure there’s something – we’ll just have to wait and see.”