About Us
ESTABLISHED 2013
As a Northwest Florida local food writer and culinary enthusiast, Susan Benton created GulfCoastRestaurants.com in 2013 to share about the people behind our food and to help others discover the flavors unique to our region, so that they in turn will support the local people that feed us. Having spent most of her days along the southern Gulf Coast, Susan has built a lifetime of knowledge, skills and relationships with many interesting people in the food, travel and art communities. She is always open to learning and sharing ways to incorporate and promote local fisherman, chefs, farmers, artisans and restaurants into the “new” movement of the moment, all while savoring the rich history and legacy of our southern culture. You can find Susan's work at 30aEats.com, which includes freelance writing, developing recipes, media appearances and judging food related competitions.
Hey yall! We're Michelle & Russell!
Nearly a decade later, we are honored Susan passed the torch to us to continue growing the legacy she built as the new owners of Gulf Coast Restaurants! It is our mission to connect people with the best local restaurants while supporting the best chefs! We are grateful to already have established relationships with many restaurants, chefs and local events for years through our original passion project. Local Jetsetter/South Walton Local was created in 2019 as a trusted guide and resource to support our 30A beach community and beyond.
Michelle is a former Walt Disney Co. Cast Member, Wedding Planner and Travel Agent, whose passions are authentic story telling, journalism and guest service. Russell is a former Videographer and Podcast Producer, and a current Florida Realtor. Together we use our skills to create original content to feature what we love. Everywhere we go, whether at home or traveling, we seek to support the local culture and feature what makes the community so special. Time and time again, we find that our authentic, personalized content drives traffic and connects new customers to the companies and people we feature.
Let’s Work Together
Get in touch so we can start working together.