Our Corporate Team
Sarah Copeland | Accounting Manager
Sarah was the first baby born in Greenville, SC IN 1980! What a way to ring in the new year! A graduate of Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC this powerhouse is now the Accountant for Nico Romo Hospitality Group. She loves to wear many hats and the excitement of multitasking. Shortly after graduation, Sarah was given the opportunity to work for a local destination company right here in Charleston, where she facilitated all sales calls to generate new corporate business. She worked with many big-name companies like Pepsi, Sprint, and JP Morgan. This non-stop-paced job pushed her to learn how to schedule, facilitate, and create an incredible experience for groups of all sizes. She was also one of the most successful sales managers with Patrick Properties Hospitality Group, and was the top sales producer for weddings and events for five years.
Working with Patrick Properties was also her first introduction to Chef Nico Romo while he worked at FISH. With her approachable, consistent, and all smiles management style, hospitality was a perfect fit, and has been for over 16 years. She loves working with people and the choice of working in the hospitality industry has always been a no-brainer for her. She loves to see how every piece of an event comes together. It’s truly all part of the show and she is thankful for where she is today helping behind the scenes.
Sarah is married to her best friend, Tommy, and they have two beautiful girls named Sadler and Molly. Their family is rounded out by their lab, Riggs, who completes the family with his non-stop entertainment. They enjoy boating in their spare time and attending Sadler and Molly’s soccer games. Sarah loves plants and tries very hard to keep them alive every day, especially the tropical ones!
Ryleigh Abraham | Marketing + Sales Manager
Ryleigh was born in Northern Virginia in 1995, but her family moved to Charleston in 2006 and it has been home ever since. After attending middle and high school in Charleston, she went on to study Business Management at Clemson University and graduated in 2016. Go Tigers!
Ryleigh has always been involved in the restaurant industry, from the kitchen at Mozzo Deli, a Mt. Pleasant staple at age 15, to working as a pastry chef, and serving and bartending, she couldn’t get enough of the hospitality industry. While working in restaurants she was also building up her social media marketing expertise by working for a local PR company, as well as consulting for a local author.
This combination of job experiences has uniquely prepared her for her position working for Nico Romo Hospitality Group, and she is thrilled to be able to work in a position that feeds her passions for hospitality, marketing, and the city of Charleston.
Ryleigh married her husband Chris in 2020 and they live downtown with their two cats, Rudy and Herb. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and experiencing everything the best city in the world has to offer!
Nicole Flatley | HR Manager
Meet Nicole Flatley, our Human Resources Manager! Nicole handles all of the onboarding for new employees, payroll, benefits and everything any of the Nico Romo Hospitality Group employees need regarding their employment. Nicole is uniquely qualified for this role, beginning with her passion for the hospitality industry. Starting as a server and bartender, Nicole eventually moved into the office administration and HR side of the business. She then moved on to go to school at Nashville State where she received her Associate of Science degree in 2013, and during her time there she also continued her administrative career by working part time as an administrative assistant in the Career Services office. Nicole eventually worked her way up to being the Technical Coordinator for the Registrar’s Office, and in addition to her extensive experience in the administrative industry, Nicole is a published author for her essay Think: A Journal of Essays.
She was drawn to the hospitality industry due to her firm belief that all individuals benefit from working in this line of work. She calls working in hospitality a humbling experience, and one you share with the people around you, who become your work family. Nicole feels that once hospitality gets into your system, it becomes a part of your soul and your life forever. It is this passion, combined with her previous experience that makes Nicole ideally suited to her position with Nico Romo HG!
Nicole is married to NICO Oysters + Seafood Head Chef, Jay Flatley and they have an amazing son named Cooper. For Nicole, hospitality truly is a family affair.
Wayne Brague | Chief Maintenance Officer
Wayne Brague, our CMO or Chief Maintenance Officer, was born in Williamsport, PA. He services and maintains the buildings and appliances for NICO Oysters + Seafood in Mount Pleasant, Bistronomy by Nico in downtown Charleston, and the newly acquired Laura in Summerville.
He provides over 25 years of knowledge and experience in repairs, upholstery, carpentry, and much more. A very proud veteran, Brague graduated high school in 1983 and served in the Navy for 4 years. His main role in the Navy was packing parachutes for airplanes on aircraft carriers and maintaining the pilot's survival equipment. He owned his own Upholstery business from 1990-2003, recovering all styles of furniture, as well as selling new furniture.
Brague became interested in plumbing and learned the trade quickly, allowing him to own a plumbing company up North from 2003-2005. In 2005 he and his family moved to Charleston and purchased a plumbing company, which he owned until 2017. From 2018 to 2020 he worked for a pressure washing company as a shop manager and repaired their engines and other equipment. During this time he also worked for Chef Nico part-time and went full-time in 2020. His wife also worked at NICO for a year making desserts! Brague is perfectly suited for his role because he has always been handy and enjoys fixing things. He has a large tool collection and a workshop in the garage where he completes a lot of projects for the restaurants.
Brague married his high school sweetheart, Stacie Brague, in 1984. They are still happily married and they have two daughters. People ask him what the secret to a long marriage is and he would reply: I would die for her and once you have that the rest is easy! His daughter, Abigail, is the Director of Events at Patrick Properties Hospitality Group, which is how he met Chef Nico. His daughter Hannah has been serving our country in the Coast Guard since 2014.
Harmony Romo | Chief Financial Officer
Kaitlyn Chase | Director of Sales
We are pleased to introduce our new Director of Sales, Kaitlyn Chase. Born in 1998, Kaitlyn was raised on James Island in Charleston, South Carolina. Currently, Kaitlyn holds the position of Director of Sales. Her educational background includes an associate degree in marketing from Tri-County Technical College, earned in 2020.
Throughout her career, Kaitlyn has achieved significant milestones, such as planning and executing over 300 events in the past year, including a major 1,000-person event for the Southern Legislative Conference. Kaitlyn's passion for the hospitality industry began at 18 when she worked at the Old Village Post House in Mount Pleasant. As the lead hostess, she developed a love for creating memorable experiences for guests and organizing daily dinner reservations, which eventually led to a broader role in event management.
As a Charleston native, Kaitlyn has built an extensive network of peers and mentors in the industry. Her experience spans various aspects of hospitality, including restaurant front-of-house, hotel operations, event design, and marketing, all of which make her well-suited for her role with us!
On a personal note, Kaitlyn is married to her husband, Jordan, and they share their home with their Boykin Spaniel named Sawyer.