Starr Chapman

Business Owner

​Starr Chapman is a graduate of St. Mary’s Dominican College with a B.A. in Speech & Drama. She moved to Waveland with her husband, John, in 1983. Together, they opened Chappy’s Seafood Restaurant in Long Beach which remained a premier destination on the Mississippi Gulf Coast until Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

In 2016, Starr returned to Waveland and opened Rum Kitchen which received the 2018 Business of the Year from the Hancock County Chamber of Commerce.

In 2017, Starr created The Hemingway Festival to benefit The Ground Zero Hurricane Museum to encourage people to return to Coleman Avenue, Main Street Waveland. She received the 2019 Restaurant Neighbor Award for Mississippi from the National Restaurant Association and advanced to the National awards.

In addition, Starr sits on the Boards of the Hancock County Chamber of Commerce, The Executive Board of the Hancock County Republican Women’s Club and the Hancock Republican Executive Club, The Church Council of St. Clare, is an Associate Board Member of the Hancock County Relay for Life.

2019 has proven to be an exceptional year. Starr has assisted in the fundraising event for Brenda’s House, The Arts Hancock County, Casa, and the Boys & Girls Club of Mississippi (Bay St. Louis). She co-created Dancing with the Relay Stars for Hancock Relay for Life and Krewe of MAP (501-3C open to all Hancock children). In addition, she created and hosted the 1st Annual Krewe of St. Clare Bash for her church. Starr was chosen to design and decorate the 100th Anniversary Dinner for St. Clare Church.

Starr is honored to have been invited to be a Guest Celebrity for the Women’s Resource Center. She gives thanks to God, Chappy, family, and friends.