Why won’t you STAY. . . just a little bit longer?

Story by Kat Walsh
Eat Sleep Play Beaufort is making a comeback. With new owners, a new brand, a new focus, and even a new name, Eat Stay Play Beaufort aims to be a trustworthy resource that presents the people and places of Beaufort in a positive light.
The business’ name change may be subtle, but the change to the business itself – and the impact it will have on our community will be substantial. ESPB’s new owners, Ginger and Will Wareham, explain.
So, what is Eat Stay Play Beaufort? What does it mean?
The new name – changing “Sleep” to “Stay”- better reflects what we all want to do here…STAY a little bit longer. Eat Stay Play Beaufort will focus on ensuring that tourism benefits all residents as it continues to drive business to Beaufort’s hospitality industry and provide a world-class destination for visitors.
We are excited to reinvigorate the ESPB brand and have endless ideas on how to better serve our community. Of course, there is a great deal of work to do on our end in an attempt to repair and nurture existing relationships established by the previous owner, who is no longer involved with EatSleepPlayBeaufort or Relish Media Group in any capacity.
What inspired you both to take this on?
We almost couldn’t help ourselves. You can travel the world and meet thousands of interesting people, but there’s something special about the Lowcountry and the people who call it home. We understand that living here is a gift. Being a positive, upbeat member of this community – that’s how we demonstrate our daily appreciation for that gift.
When you are given a gift, there’s a responsibility to pass it on and share it with others. Whether it’s celebrating at a local event or simply enjoying one of our magical sunsets on the marsh, there is so much happiness and joy to be shared around here … it’s contagious!
How will Eat Stay Play be different than before?
Our objective is to be an inspirational steward for Beaufort, SC, and surrounding Sea Islands. With enthusiastic support from local businesses, family and friends, we will strive to create something for everyone.
By definition, a brand steward is responsible for managing brand alignment within an organization. But it’s so much more than that. It’s about clearly and consistently advocating for the brand: fighting for it, defending it, upholding its core values, and living its essence.
So how can we cultivate and encourage our community to be brand stewards?
We believe that by working together, we achieve so much more than working alone, so the new ESPB will definitely be an open and collaborative effort. We want you to be a part of this online community. We want your suggestions, feedback, insight and knowledge to grow this project. We want to be able to illustrate the connection between the locals and visitors that we have grown to love and get to experience every day. The southern hospitality, the friendly and welcoming faces, the experiences you can only get here, in the Lowcountry.
We want to depict real people and tell their real stories that make this area so unique. We want to engage our visitors and locals to live and enjoy this brand authentically every day. So get outside with your GoPros and cameras and drones and capture the experiences that can only be found here in the Lowcountry so that we can share it with the world!
What is the plan?
Over the next few weeks, we will be contacting each of ESPB’s existing and former advertisers. In an effort to repair relationships, we will attempt to better understand each agreement made prior to our ownership and identify the most appropriate path forward. While we are not responsible for the debts of the previous owner, we will make every effort to work with each of you to arrive at a mutually satisfactory arrangement. We greatly appreciate your patience and understanding during this transition period.
We are so grateful for all the kindness we have received since announcing our aquistion. We believe in this project and the positive impact it can have on our community.  Our culture is all about transparency and support…we care deeply about our PickleJuice™ and Relish Media Group clients, our community, our team and one another.