About
Brad Ball, owner
A native Charlestonian, Brad Ball grew up in the restaurant industry, with his family owning six different restaurants in the area. At the age of twelve, he started working in various capacities for his family’s most prominent restaurant, Poogan’s Porch. After graduating from the College of Charleston with a philosophy degree, Ball became general manager of Poogan’s Porch. In 2005, looking to expand his knowledge in the culinary field, Ball moved to New York City to attend the French Culinary Institute.
After kitchen internships at Jean-Georges, a four-star Midtown restaurant, and Momofuku, a Japanese fusion restaurant in the East Village, Ball took a position as a sommelier at Aquavit in Manhattan. Under the supervision of Olivier Zardoni, formerly of Le Bernadin and Michael Mina, Ball had the opportunity to taste numerous back-vintage wines from exclusive producers, furthering his knowledge and fine-toning his palate. In addition, he earned his Advanced Certificate with Distinction from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust through the International Wine Center before returning to Charleston.
Upon his return, Ball became managing partner of Poogan’s Porch and also became a Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers. However, Ball quickly took note of the lack of wine bars in the Charleston area. He scouted locations and began the renovation of 188 East Bay into Social Restaurant + Wine Bar in May 2006. During this period he began working towards his Diploma of Wine & Spirits from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, which he completed in the fall of 2008, becoming the first person with such distinction in Charleston.
Social opened on February 13, 2007 and has received much acclaim, including four stars from the Post & Courier and ‘Best Wine Selection’, ‘Best Happy Hour’ and ‘Best Upscale Bar’ by the City Paper. Always one to challenge himself, Ball completed executive MBA program with a wine industry focus through the Bordeaux Ecole de Management (BEM) in 2010. Ball hopes to broaden his horizons and strengthen his business acumen by growing his current businesses and engaging in additional endeavors.
He is actively pursuing an Advanced Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers and Master of Wine.
Doug Svec, executive chef
As the Executive Chef of Social Restaurant + Wine Bar, a person might be surprised to learn that Doug Svec has no formal training. When his dreams of culinary school fell through, he instead learned and perfected his craft by working his way up through the kitchens of some of Chicago’s most established restaurants along side three James Beard award-winning chefs.
Although a Chicago native, Svec spent much of his childhood in South Florida. A curious child from the start, he spent countless hours outside on the water or on his bike. His passion for food only began to develop during his time at the University of Florida.
“One night one of my friends who was in culinary school made us this amazing meal out of random things that we had in our kitchen,” said Svec. “It amazed me how with the art of cooking you can do so much with so little.”
After spending two unmotivated years at the University of Florida, Svec decided to pack his bags and move in with his family in Chicago to pursue a career in the culinary industry. With plans to pick up a construction job to pay for school, after months of unemployment he changed his path and began applying for jobs in every three and four-star restaurant he could find. After several weeks and 90 applications later, Svec was offered a position at Spiaggia.
The only four-star Italian restaurant in Chicago, Spiaggia gave Svec his big chance when he was hired as a prep cook. He had no idea at the time the opportunity that he had been given working with Chef Tony Mantuano, a James Beard award winner. In the year and a half that he spent with Spiaggia, Svec continued to succeed exponentially and quickly moved up in the kitchen.
Svec left Spiaggia to become the sous-chef of the brand-new three and a half star Pluton restaurant. Although Pluton only lasted for 18 months, he learned more about his passion of cooking. Following Pluton, Svec continued to work in Chicago restaurants such as Blackbird, Le Lan, Naha and In Fine Spirits. During this time, he worked with two other James Beard award-winners, Chef Paul Kahan and Chef Carrie Nahabedian.
Svec left Chicago for Charleston in February 2010 to become the executive chef of Social Restaurant + Wine Bar. At Social, he revamped the menu, making the food more eloquent to match the high beverage quality. As the executive chef of Social, Svec “strives to continue to learn and experiment with food while providing a unique way to think by using distinct cooking techniques.”
Although Svec spends much of his time in the kitchen, he also enjoys reading and listening to live music.
Zach Smith, general manager
A Charlotte, NC native, Zach Smith made his way to Charleston in February 2010 to take the job as general manager at Social Restaurant + Wine Bar.
His interest in the food and beverage industry began during his first job at the Italian restaurant Pizzarellis. “I had to sweat in the ‘dungeon’ washing dishes but I loved it and knew that working in this industry was what I wanted,” said Smith.
Taking his passions to the next level, Smith attended the University of Houston where he received a degree in Restaurant and Hotel Management. During college he worked as a bartender and sold wine for a wholesaler. From those jobs Smith gained extensive knowledge of the beverage industry and became a certified sommelier.
After college Smith spent the next nine years working in various hospitality industries based in Charlotte and Houston, one of the most competitive markets in the country. Moving to Charleston and working at Social was a big career move for him.
“I’m very proud to be working at Social and believe that this opportunity will be a great chance for me to progress my knowledge of the food and beverage industry and a step towards becoming a master sommelier,” said Smith.
Before joining Social, Smith worked at XO Tapas Restaurant & Lounge in Cornelius, NC, Upstream in Charlotte, NC, Red and White Wine Bistro in Houston, TX and various other establishments throughout Texas and North Carolina.
In his free time Smith enjoys being outdoors and playing sports.
