The Writer

Michelle Moran began her career writing backyard plays for her neighborhood friends to act in.

Michelle Moran: The Writer

Michelle Moran began her career writing backyard plays for her neighborhood friends to act in – she was both writer and producer and hospitality coordinator creating drink lists and dining menus for the audience to enjoy.

It was clear from the start that she had not only a penchant for writing but just could not keep her mind off of new projects and concepts. She always pushed her way through every obstacle and loved learning about whatever subject lay before her.

In her primary years were focused on creative writing, but at the urging of her father, she shifted toward the world of journalism, covering a wide range of specialties from the crude oil business (and trading) to police reporting to government and politics before falling into the niche of food writing where she settled in for more than a decade before her world had a collision course with a chef named Danny Mellman.

From the moment they met, the duo was inseparable. It was evident from the start that the pair had the ingredients for long-lasting love and a long, productive business relationship.

And so began The Chef and The Writer.

For 15 years, they focused their energies on a small restaurant group in Blue Ridge, Georgia, starting with one restaurant, which grew into seven concepts, along with a 30-acre farm and private event location. Four of those restaurants remain strong in the group today, but as fate would have it, 2020 pushed them into the future of their 10-year plan on a little island off the coast of Belize.

And that, my friends, brings us to today.

The Writer is in Belize working on, well, writing and coaching and hospitality. This non-stop couple have opened shop with Lit’l Pond South on Ambergris Caye, San Pedro Town – creating a small resort (only eight guests at a time) and setting up a writer’s retreat and space to focus on coaching clients to reach their goals -whether through virtual coaching or in-person retreats.

Michelle is designing the four suites at their beachfront location and maintaining a small two-bedroom lagoon side cottage for guests looking for a respite from the fast-paced world outside the island. The spaces are designed to make the most of fishing, diving, snorkeling, and other healthy outdoor activities while creating indoor spaces for relaxation and self-care. She is also immersing herself in writing, pulling together years of hospitality and travel notes into who knows what…and writing this blog with her partner.