Ron Ladner was born and grew up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. After a not-so-hot showing at the University of Southern Mississippi, he ended up in Dallas, where he cut his teeth in the software services industry. He eventually landed in Atlanta, where he met and married his wife, Laura, and co-created and sold his own software services firm.

Not making quite enough to retire, but enough money to leave Atlanta, Ron, Laura, and their dogs packed up and headed to Ron’s hometown area…Pass Christian, MS…just in time to settle in for the worst Hurricane in the Gulf’s history…Katrina.

They lost almost everything but decided to stay and invest in a discouraging recovery effort. It changed their lives forever.

But by chance, born out of heartbreak, hope, and a deep commitment to their people and community, they created Shaggy’s…a waterfront restaurant in Pass Christian Harbor as a place where the community could gather again and find comfort and healing…over cocktails, cheeseburgers and laughter.

They carried their formula forward for the next 20 years and today have five waterfront Shaggy’s locations, with an exclusive employee culture and a proven commitment to their community and helping others.

Shaggy’s has 450 employees with an average tenure of almost three years and will serve over 1 million people this year.

Ron’s only business partner, Rimmer Covington, Jr., now runs the day-to-day operations of the company, and runs it well. This gives Ron the time and freedom to go blue marlin fishing in the Caribbean once a month…but Rimmer gets an invite when the bite is hot.

Ron and Laura, after 31 years of marriage, now focus on doing their best to help others. They split time between downtown Pensacola, Buckhead, Atlanta and the Caribbean, where they chase blue marlin on their sportfishing boat the “Cheeseburger” and their live-aboard the “Karibu.”