Our Team
Molasses Grill is a family
Owned and operated by husband and wife team Chef Steven and Karen Schopen, it wasn’t until 2005 that the doors of Molasses Grill opened finally making their twenty year dream of having their own restaurant a reality.
Chef Steve was born and raised in the countryside of Kent, England before he went on to work in restaurants all over the world including England, Germany, Sweden, Washington D.C., and Michigan. Karen brings to the business over 35 years of professional experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry.
The Grill is utterly a family operation with three of the four Schopen children currently working alongside their parents (the fourth is still in England, so she’s excused). Daughter Lauren has been the dining room manager since the first year of operation. Daughter Brittney has recently moved back to the area and is bringing her years of experience in the wedding industry to coordinating our private events. Son Mitchell has been temporarily acting as Sous Chef after years of helping to run other restaurants in Virginia.
The family atmosphere extends beyond blood to the Grill staff, many of whom have been with the restaurant for years and are counted among the Schopens' closest friends. This lends a warm, inviting, and fun atmosphere to the Grill's operation that is sure to be felt by both long time patrons and first time customers.
Steven Schopen
Chef / Owner / Beer Expert
Lauren Schopen
Dining Room Manager / Cocktail Program
Karen Schopen
Owner / Operator / Private Event Coordinator
Josh Henry
Kitchen Manager / IT Department
