Ron Ladner, an entrepreneur and storyteller, grew up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. After a less-than-stellar stint at the University of Southern Mississippi, he built a successful career in the software services industry, first in Dallas and later in Atlanta, where he met and married his wife, Laura, and where he cocreated and eventually sold his own software company.

The company sale afforded Ron and Laura the freedom to leave Atlanta and move full time to Ron’s beloved Mississippi Gulf Coast—just in time for the worst hurricane in the Gulf’s history. Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast. Ron and Laura lost nearly everything, but instead of leaving, they chose to stay and help rebuild the community they loved.

That decision led to the creation of Shaggy’s, a waterfront restaurant in Pass Christian Harbor designed to be more than a place to eat. It became a gathering place where neighbors could reconnect, heal, and rediscover hope over cocktails, cheeseburgers, and laughter.

Over the past two decades, Shaggy’s has grown into five waterfront locations with 450 employees. The restaurants will serve over one million guests this year, while still maintaining an exclusive employee-first culture and a proven commitment to community and helping others.

Today, Ron is no longer involved in the day-to-day operations, giving him the freedom to focus on philanthropy and chase the blue marlin bite throughout the Caribbean aboard his sportfishing boat, the Cheeseburger.