Why Marrow Costs More (And Why It's Worth It)

We're not the most budget-friendly private chef service on 30A. We’re expensive.

That's not an accident, and it's not something we try to hide. Our pricing is displayed upfront on every menu page because we want you to know exactly what you're considering before you reach out.

If you're comparison shopping and cost is your main concern, we're probably not the right fit. But if you're wondering why we charge what we charge — and why hundreds of guests have told us we're worth every dollar — this is the answer.

We're Not Competing on Price

Most businesses position themselves somewhere in the middle. Competitive rates, solid quality, broad appeal. We made a different choice.

Marrow's positioning is deliberate: we're the premium option. We don't try to be affordable, accessible, or budget-friendly. We try to be the best. And the guests who choose us aren't looking for the cheapest option — they're looking for the one they won't regret.

That clarity matters. Our pricing filters out guests who are focused on cost and attracts guests who care more about quality, reliability, and experience. It's a trade-off we've chosen intentionally, and it allows us to focus on what we do best: creating meals that people remember.

What You're Actually Paying For

Price alone doesn't mean much without understanding what drives it. Here's what goes into every Marrow experience.

Scratch-Made, No Shortcuts

We don't cut corners, and we don't take shortcuts. Every component of every dish is prepared from scratch.

That means stocks simmered for hours, sauces built from base ingredients, doughs and batters made by hand. It means our chefs prep in our commercial kitchen before arriving at your rental, so the timeline on-site works without compromising quality.

Pre-made bases, packaged components, shortcuts that save time but cost flavor — we don't use them. It's slower. It's more labor-intensive. It costs more. But it's the only way to achieve the level of quality we're known for.

Gulf-to-Table Sourcing

30A sits directly on the Gulf of Mexico, and we take full advantage of that. The Gulf shrimp, grouper, snapper, and triggerfish on your plate were likely caught within miles of where you're staying.

We source fresh Gulf seafood through relationships with local suppliers. We don't rely on frozen inventory shipped from distant distributors. When the catch is good, it shows up on your plate.

That immediacy has a cost — fresh seafood is more expensive than frozen, and it requires more coordination. But the difference in taste and texture is undeniable. When you order Gulf seafood from Marrow, you're getting the real thing.

Trained in the Trade, Not the Classroom

None of Marrow's three chef-owners went to culinary school. Richard McCord, Ryan McNay, and Chris Mongogna all learned in professional kitchens, working the line, taking orders, learning from chefs who measured success by guest satisfaction, not technique scores.

Chris Mongogna worked directly with Emeril Lagasse as the opening sous chef at Emeril's Coastal Italian. In 2025, Emeril’s New Orleans flagship earned two Michelin stars. That's the caliber of training our team brings to your vacation rental.

We're not stifled by culinary rules or tradition. We base decisions on what guests actually want, what tastes good, and what makes sense for the moment. That flexibility — combined with years of professional experience — is part of what makes Marrow different.

A Track Record You Can Trust

Marrow has executed over 2,500 events since 2018. We've earned more than 650 five-star reviews — more than any other private chef service on 30A. You’d be hard pressed to find a private chef service anywhere that can match that.

We've served intimate dinners for two, weddings for 200, multi-day corporate retreats, and everything in between. And in all of those events, we've maintained a perfect food safety record. Zero incidents of guests becoming ill. Zero.

That reliability doesn't happen by chance. It's the result of rigid protocols, obsessive attention to detail, and a team that treats every event — whether it's number 10 or number 2,500 — with the same level of care.

Team Depth and Reliability

When you book Marrow, you're not relying on the availability of a single chef. You're booking a team.

We have three chef-owners, two event coordinators, three full-time event chefs, and a trusted network of servers, bartenders, and additional cooks throughout South Walton. That depth means we can handle multiple events on the same day, scale to fit large gatherings, and ensure that your event isn't in jeopardy if someone gets sick or has a conflict.

You're not booking a one-person operation. You're booking an established business with the infrastructure to deliver consistently, regardless of the circumstances.

Experience, Not Just Food

Here's what guests tell us most often: "It wasn't just the food. It was the whole experience."

When you hire Marrow, you're not just paying someone to cook. You're paying for the ability to stay fully present with your guests while someone else handles every detail.

You're not grocery shopping in an unfamiliar town. You're not cooking in a rental kitchen with mismatched pans and dull knives. You're not cleaning up while your guests finish dessert.

You're sitting at the table, wine in hand, watching your family laugh, while a chef plates the next course in the background. You're tasting Gulf shrimp that was pulled from the water that morning, prepared by someone who's cooked thousands of pounds of it and knows exactly how it should taste.

You're watching dishes come out that look like they belong in a restaurant you'd make a reservation at two months in advance — except you're in your vacation rental, barefoot, without having left the house.

That's what you're paying for. Not just food. Time. Ease. Memory.

What Guests Say

We don't have to make the case ourselves. Our guests make it for us.

With over 650 five-star reviews, the most common themes are consistent:

• "Worth every penny."

• "The best meal of our vacation."

• "We'll never go back to restaurants on 30A."

• "Can't wait to book again next year."

Guests return year after year. They refer us to friends and family. They book us for weddings, then bring us back for anniversaries and milestone birthdays.

That kind of loyalty doesn't come from being cheap. It comes from delivering something worth talking about.

The Alternative Cost

Price comparisons only make sense when you're comparing like things. A private chef dinner isn't like a night out at a restaurant, and it's not like ordering takeout.

Restaurants on 30A

Dinner for a group at a high-end restaurant on 30A will run you close to the same per-person cost as hiring a private chef — sometimes more. Add in the time spent driving, waiting for a table, dealing with noise, and splitting your group across multiple tables because they can't seat 12 together. Factor in the stress of coordinating reservations during peak season when every place is booked weeks in advance, or doesn’t take reservations at all.

Now compare that to staying in your rental, gathering around one table, eating food that's prepared specifically for your group, and never leaving your space.

Cheaper Private Chef Options

There are less expensive private chefs on 30A. Some of them are good. Some of them are fine. And some of them will leave you wondering why you didn't just go to a restaurant.

The risk of choosing based on price is this: if the food is mediocre, if the chef shows up late, if the kitchen is left a mess, if a dietary restriction is mishandled — you don't get a do-over. That moment is gone. The vacation evening you wanted to make special is now something you're trying to salvage.

We charge more because we've eliminated that risk. When you book Marrow, you know what you're getting.

Why We Display Pricing Upfront

Most private chef services require you to inquire for pricing. We don't.

Our pricing is on our website, displayed clearly on every menu page, because we respect your time and we want to qualify the right guests.

If our pricing feels too high, that's useful information — for both of us. It means we're probably not the right fit, and that's okay. There are other options on 30A, and some of them may be better suited to your budget.

But if you see our pricing and think, "That makes sense for what we're trying to create," then we're exactly who you're looking for.

Visit our menus page to see current pricing for each experience.

Is It Worth It?

Only you can answer that.

But here's how we think about it: Marrow isn't for every occasion. It's for the ones that matter.

The week you've been planning all year. The celebration that brings the whole family together. The evening you want to be perfect because it's the one night where everyone is in the same place at the same time.

Those moments don't happen often. And when they do, the cost of getting it wrong is higher than the cost of getting it right.

We're expensive because we're betting that when it matters, quality wins. And for the past seven years, 650+ five-star reviews later, that bet has paid off.

Explore our menus to see what we can create for your next occasion, or reach out to reserve your date.

We'll make it worth it.