Jillian Schaffer
FIG | Charleston, SC
NOVEMBER 2024
Jillian Schaffer always wanted to cook. Her passion for hospitality was immediate, effortless, and almost instinctual. Every important moment—from holidays to birthdays to get-togethers—seemed to take place around a dinner table over a shared meal with friends, family, and loved ones. Inspired by those gatherings and a childhood spent watching The Food Network, Schaffer enrolled in culinary school and graduated from Johnson & Wales University with a four-year degree. She went on to work in kitchens in Italy, Oregon, and Cape Cod before taking a job at Bardessono in Napa, California.
A few months later, Schaffer joined the team at Quince in San Francisco, where she worked all the stations in the acclaimed California kitchen over the next two and a half years. She became the AM butcher and junior sous for Quince before moving over to Cotogna. There, she worked her way up to executive sous, where she learned to lead a team, create new dishes for the menu, and manage a kitchen.
After several years at the restaurant, Schaffer was ready to move on. She took five months off from the industry and set out on a cross-country road trip. When she arrived in Charleston, she went to eat at Mike Lata’s FIG. Schaffer was drawn to the seasonal, thoughtfully sourced dishes and struck up a conversation with the bartender. She staged at the restaurant and joined the team shortly after, moving down to Charleston permanently to work under Lata and Rising Stars alum Jason Stanhope. Now, as chef de cuisine, Schaffer champions local ingredients through her close relationships with fishermen and farmers, fosters community and camaraderie with her staff, and continues to push the restaurant—which just celebrated its 21st anniversary—forward.
2024 StarChefs Charleston-Savannah Rising Stars Award Winner
