Our History
Hospitality has never been a career path for us. It has always been a calling.
The story of Devanney Hospitality Group begins where most meaningful hospitality stories do: on the floor of a restaurant. Kevin Devanney’s first role in the industry was as a busboy in St. Louis, where he learned early that true hospitality is not transactional. It is personal. It is intuitive. It is about anticipating needs, remembering details, and making people feel genuinely seen.
That philosophy became the foundation for everything that followed.
The Beginning:
Incentive Travel Solutions
In 2001, a defining moment reshaped Kevin’s career. One day, a Midwest company sent congratulations on the birth of his daughter. The next day, they announced his resignation. What could have been an ending became the beginning of Incentive Travel Solutions.
Founded on the belief that exceptional service should be paired with unforgettable experiences, ITS quickly became a premier provider of corporate incentive travel programs. Over the next two decades, the company would design and operate world-class programs across the globe, hosting private corporate experiences in 109 countries.
From intimate dinners in Europe to once-in-a-lifetime moments inside historic landmarks, ITS redefined what reward travel could be. Highlights include transporting guests across Europe aboard the Venetian Quiet Express, producing events in New Zealand marking the company’s 100th country, hosting private experiences inside the Kremlin, welcoming top performers on London Bridge, and becoming the only organization in history to host a private event inside the Colosseum in Rome.
These experiences reinforced a simple truth: shared moments create deeper connections than any bonus or incentive ever could.
A New Chapter: Food & Community
When global travel came to a halt in 2020, the hospitality industry faced an unprecedented challenge. Rather than pause, Devanney Hospitality Group pivoted.
Kevin transformed the ITS office, located in an 1895 historic building in Pineville, North Carolina, into a neighborhood wine market and pizza restaurant. On March 1, 2021, Margaux’s Wine, Pizza & Market opened its doors and quickly became a community gathering place.
The momentum continued. In 2022, the neighboring building became available, and The Garrison was born, expanding the hospitality family and reinforcing the group’s commitment to thoughtfully designed spaces, elevated comfort food, and genuine connection.
Service is not optional. Hospitality is essential.
Today, Devanney Hospitality Group continues to grow with new concepts, including The Garrison at Tega Cay coming late spring 2026, blending timeless hospitality with modern experiences, private events, and community-driven programming.
Across travel, restaurants, events, and community initiatives, one belief remains constant: Service is not optional. Hospitality is essential.
We believe hospitality goes beyond efficiency or execution. It is exceeding expectations every time. It is remembering a guest’s favorite table, their go-to drink, or how they like to feel when they walk through the door. It is creating environments where people gather, celebrate, connect, and return again and again.
From global incentive programs to neighborhood restaurants, our history is built on people, passion, and purpose and our future is guided by the same principles that started it all.
