MANAGEMENT TEAM

Zach Shultz, Owner

Zach was raised in Savannah, GA and has spent most of his life there. From a very young age Zach dreamed of having his own restaurant. He began his culinary career at age 13, working at several Savannah restaurants during middle and high school before moving to Tampa in 2003.  

In Tampa, Zach went to work with Big Time Restaurant Group, a Florida based company that focused on scratch cooking and quality. While there Zach developed a passion for the industry. Ready to take his knowledge to the next level, Zach moved to Miami to attend Johnson and Wales University where he earned degrees in Culinary Arts and Hotel & Restaurant Management. 

While in Miami, Zach got a coveted position at the James Beard award winning Chef Allen’s restaurant. At Chef Allen’s, Zach learned the art of New World Cuisine. While there, Zach helped in relaunching a new concept, menu and recipe development, cooking class instruction, and special events. 

From Chef Allen’s, Zach joined the acclaimed Louie’s Backyard in Key West. At Louie’s Zach went from line cook to sous chef to day time Chef de Cuisine. After some time in Key West, Zach missed his hometown of Savannah and decided to move back to Savannah in 2010.  In 2010, Zach founded Culinary Revival LLC, a successful restaurant equipment company that serviced restaurants throughout Savannah, Bluffton, and Hilton Head. However, after a couple of years, Zach found that he missed the excitement that comes with working in a restaurant. He decided to open a place of his own – Cotton & Rye. For Zach, Cotton & Rye is the culmination of everything he’s ever loved about restaurants. It is literally his dream come true.