THEIR WORK HAS CONTRIBUTED TO SOME OF SUMMERVILLE’S MOST RECOGNIZED LOGOS, LANDMARKS, AND LIBATIONS. WHEN WILL AND DOTTIE RIZZO TURN THEIR DREAMS INTO REALITIES, WE ALL WAKE UP TO MAGIC.
By Susan Frampton
Step into the elegantly eclectic ambiance of The Azalea Bar and Garden, and you’ll immediately get a feel for the aesthetics of its proprietors. With the look and feel of a cozy speakeasy, much of the décor came directly off the walls and shelves of Will and Dottie Rizzo’s home. Much of it came from thrift stores, antique shops, estate sales, and flea markets. In addition to being brilliantly creative and ridiculously talented, they are the undisputed king and queen of thrift store shopping. In this new and unique cocktail bar, the couple set out to reflect the same signature Summerville style they showcased in the pages of Azalea Magazine, the lifestyle publication they conceived of and launched almost 15 years earlier. A look through the magazine’s pages is proof that they nailed it.
You’ll find Azalea Magazine on coffee tables all over the Lowcountry. You’ll see it on newsstands, in libraries and grocery stores, run across it in doctors’ offices, and almost always find someone pouring over its pages in local coffee houses. Since the first day it appeared on the scene, it spoke with a new voice, telling the stories of a unique town. Its goal was and continues to be showcasing the natural beauty of Summerville, celebrating its storied past, and exploring its present-day charm. As it has from that very first day, Azalea Magazine introduces the characters who brought the Town to life, those who make it what it is today, and the innovators who will take it into the future. The quality of the magazine’s photographs and graphics, its writing, and the fresh approach of its design gave it all the attributes of a national magazine. Who were these publishers that seemed to have come from out of nowhere?
Dottie Langley was a Summerville girl whose family roots run deep in the community. Will Rizzo had spent part of his youth in the Charleston area but largely called Florida home. They met in college and married soon after graduation. What followed took the pair from a record deal in Nashville to an art school in Florida. It earned them awards and a reputation for excellence within Charleston’s graphics and advertising community. It prompted them to become entrepreneurs. And, as if they weren’t busy enough, their family grew to include two children during this time. They don’t talk much about their singer/songwriting abilities or Will’s Nashville recording contract, and good luck getting them to share the subsequent albums. “That was really our first joint venture into creativity. We probably wrote 40 or 50 songs. Everything on the first record was our music, and I would say 80% of the next one.” (I’ve heard it. It’s good.) Their decision to leave Music City was Nashville’s loss. But their decision to attend art school was a gift that Summerville continues to unwrap all these years later.
“As soon as we were out of (art) school, I started applying for jobs in Charleston,” Will remembers. “I think I sent out 30 resumes before Bill Collins, who owned the Journal Scene, hired me. He let me redesign the paper, which he sold several years later. It was an incredible opportunity that I am still proud of.” From there came jobs with several high-profile Charleston graphic design and advertising agencies. Ready for more, the two decided to form Bellwether, their own advertising and design firm. “The Town was growing, and no locally-based design company was providing the service. It seemed like the time was right.” Bellwether hit the ground running, designing ads and logos for high-profile businesses and organizations. The Chamber of Commerce, Town of Summerville, DREAM, Coastal Coffee, and Perfectly Franks were among their clients, and much of their design work is still in use today.
The pair was young and blessed with endless energy, talent, and imagination. Both admit to having literal dreams of creating a magazine to honor Dottie’s native and Will’s newly adopted hometown. Bellwether brought them the opportunity to work with and serve the community, which in turn gained them a deeper appreciation for the Town’s history and its human and natural resources. Having grown up in Summerville, there were stories about people and places that Dottie knew pieces and parts of but had never fully explored. Being new to the Town, Will looked at those stories with fresh eyes. “Everything we read about Summerville was told from Charleston’s perspective. We wanted to give Summerville’s perspective—to hear the Town’s voice in its stories.” Fueled by endless optimism and hours of prayer, the idea that regularly visited their dreams began to take shape on paper.
Will remembers sitting in a meeting in the DREAM office, thinking, “Let’s jump all in and just do it. We talked about it and decided to begin selling potential advertising space. We thought, well, if we can’t make it work, we’ll give everyone their money back.” With no budget and little to no experience in journalism or publishing, the pair set out to launch their new endeavor. They called it Azalea Magazine. It worked, and the first issue hit the racks in Fall 2009.
While Will’s creativity is often the catalyst for new ideas, and despite being dyslexic, he wrote 80% of the first issue. Dottie is the virtual triple threat. She is not only creative but also a technical and numbers person. Her photography skills translate their ideas into images worthy of publication on their own, and there is no one you’d rather have research a subject. Again and again, she has risen to the challenge. “We haven’t really had mentors to show us how to do something,” she says. “From publishing a magazine to opening a bar and restaurant, we’ve had to teach ourselves and figure it out as we go along.”
“I think what makes us work together so well is that we think completely differently,” Will muses. Dottie sells herself short, laughing at his description. “My main job is always keeping Will’s feet on the ground.” The couple’s relationship might best be described as having the perfect balance—the yin and yang that make for a good partnership. The Rizzos work hard, but their faith in their ideas and in each other is well-placed. The magazine was well-received by a community that, to this day, clamors for more.
Diving a bit deeper than publications that hardly scratch the surface of the stories, the subjects Azalea Magazine explores sometimes took on a life of their own. “We did a story about tea’s role in Summerville’s history and titled it Summerville, The Birthplace of Sweet Tea. The Chamber adopted the phrase as a part of their marketing efforts for the Town and created a whole new direction for promoting Summerville.” This year, Summerville attracted 18,000 attendees to The Rizzo’s subsequent brainchild, the Sweet Tea Festival. “We may have had the initial idea, but events aren’t really in our wheelhouse. Leaders in the community ran with it and transformed an idea into an incredible celebration for the community.”In addition, the pair were instrumental in the creation, acquisition, and development of the Public Works Art Center, Summerville’s free, family-friendly, nonprofit community art center in the heart of Downtown.
Neither like to talk about themselves, so sitting the Rizzos down for an interview isn’t easy. However, I have an enviable inside track. A dozen or so years ago, Will and Dottie offered me the opportunity to write for them. Since then, they and their family have become treasured members of our family. The experience has been and remains an adventure. I’ve been along to watch them work their magic, but our attempts to create a timeline inevitably leave something out. There is a lot to unpack, though the three of us try to fill in the blanks. When Dottie stops, we’ve already moved beyond Azalea and on to the next project. “Wait a minute, we also did Palmetto Magazine,” she says. “Oh, right,” says Will of their state-wide publication. “I almost forgot.” The magazine that slipped their minds was the unexpected pathway to another. Having picked up an issue of Palmetto at a Visitor’s Center, Augusta, GA’s Convention and Visitor Bureau came calling to explore the possibility of the pair producing a magazine to promote their city. The result was The New Augustan. The first issue was awarded first place for Augusta’s CVB in an industry-wide competition.
Though their endeavors have sometimes taken them far beyond the Town limits, their hearts remain faithful to Summerville. Two and a half years ago, that appreciation of Summerville and its potential prompted them to open The Azalea Bar and Garden in historic Downtown. The sophisticated yet comfortable venue offers something for every taste, including craft cocktails, specialty curated wine, local craft beers, and a menu of Southern favorites. “We wanted to create something the Town didn’t already have —something uniquely Summerville, and have it be a sort of sister business incorporating everything that we loved about the magazine,” they explain. “We wanted to keep that same feeling.” The eclectic location quickly became a preferred gathering place and special occasion venue. It remains a local favorite and a delightful surprise for first-time visitors.
But as it inevitably does, time was flying, and life was changing for the Rizzos and their family. As creative and talented as their parents, daughter Paris was graduating from Presbyterian College, entering MUSC to study medicine, and soon to be married. Their son Davison was about to leave for Lander University, persuing a degree in music. It was serendipitous when they were approached by entrepreneur Jenna Lachenmen, who was contemplating a new magazine in another town and came to them for recommendations and advice on the subject. Though they had not considered selling Azalea, it felt like perfect timing when she asked if they had considered it. “As hard as it was, we knew it was time to shift our attention in a different direction. Jenna’s manner, philosophies, and respect for ‘telling the stories’ fit ours. We knew that Azalea Magazine was in good hands.”
These days, they take us around the world. The beer world. Godwin’s Beer Hall, their newest venture, welcomes all to a European-style biergarten experience and boasts a curated selection of brews, meads, ciders, and wine. “We had this character in the back of our minds—an eccentric adventurer, explorer. He’s the inspiration for it all.” The venue’s maps, flags, and globes follow the track of the hall’s namesake explorer. Like everything the Rizzos touch, Godwin’s is a testament to the creativity and ingenuity that are the pair’s signature.
Never resting on their laurels, tomorrow they head to Chattanooga, TN, to do the legwork for the second edition of that city’s tourism magazine. Uncomfortable in the limelight, the couple remains humble, crediting those who have supported them for their successes. “We don’t take our blessings for granted. We have incredible support from family and friends from day one, and we couldn’t do what we do without those who give more than 100% every day to help make our dreams a reality. We have incredible employees at Azalea Bar and Godwin’s. Their hard work and expertise make it all happen. We are so grateful.”
Creativity, talent, vision, and a work ethic that keeps them in constant motion are the things that drive them. Faith, family, and friends are the foundation for everything they do. As long as Will and Dottie Rizzo continue to dream, we will continue to wake up to magic. AM
