About Us

Sean and Shelly Piper, Owners

After visiting family in Asheville for many years, Sean, Shelly and their son Rowan made it their home in 2010. In March of 2014 they were able to purchase a small, condemned, historical building at 715 Haywood Road West Asheville, NC. Sean received an SBA loan and lovingly restored the building while still preserving its historical designation. In 2018 he was given a Griffin Award for Adaptive Reuse by the Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County. After years of dedication and perseverance, Jargon opened its doors on May 15th, 2017.

Sean is originally from Preston, CT, and has proud New England roots. While working in restaurants for many years in a myriad of roles; from dish to prep, bus to server, and bartender to manager, he gained a deep love for the restaurant business. He and Shelly met in St. Augustine, FL, they married, he attended film school and soon after they moved to Los Angeles. For seventeen years he worked as a grip and dolly grip on TV shows and films such as; The Hunger Games, Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull, Into the Wild, Captain of America Civil War, Masterminds (Asheville), and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Asheville). While continuing to work in the film/television business, he worked on the concept for Jargon in his free time. When Sean isn’t welcoming guests at Jargon, he is watching Patriot games, camping in his VW van or mowing his lawn.

Shelly Piper is originally from Oviedo FL, and came to Asheville with Sean and their son in 2010.  She has a master’s degree in arts administration, and had a long career working in museums and galleries in Orlando, FL and Los Angeles, CA.  She spent many years at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles, where she helped manage a wide variety of scholarly art history programming and publications.  Although her role at Jargon is mostly in the background, her artwork is the very first thing you will see when you enter the building.  Shelly created the mosaic tile entry way that adorns the vestibule floor, and is responsible for a large part of the interior design of the restaurant.  She loves visiting museums, exploring antique and thrift stores, decorating the restaurant for holidays and is an amateur birder.

Paul Cremer, Executive Chef of Jargon and The Argot Room

Chef Paul Cremer comes to us with over a decade of experience across the country, from pub fare to Michelin-rated fine dining, including several years at some of Asheville’s most notable restaurants. He is excited to join the team at the highly-esteemed Jargon, and bring his focus back to the community that makes our mountain town special. Paul takes inspiration from California, Southwestern and Southern cuisines, combining elements from all of these regions – and beyond – to create new and exciting dishes for our guests. Paul believes that food can only be as serious as it is playful, and that working in a medium that is so fleeting there is room for only one goal: to make people happy.

Andrea Kentner, Event Coordinator, The Argot Room

Andrea was born off the Mississippi river in the small town of Clinton, Iowa. After both her parents’ factories were shut down, her family moved to a town right outside of Houston, Texas.  There, she was given even more opportunities to grow, learn, and explore!  She attended San Jacinto Community College where she studied education, and started working at a “mom and pop” Italian restaurant where she was able to excel and prosper in all positions.  For seven years, she was eating endless pizza and shaping herself for a big move!  After visiting friends in Asheville she fell in love with the area and quickly saw how passionate this mountain town is for the service industry.  She moved here in September 2018 with her dog, Miloh, and though leaving her family was tough, she found a community of friends and even fell in love!  Andrea started her journey at Jargon in May of 2019.  Since then, she’s shown dedication, hard work, and growth.  Now she is taking the reins as Event Coordinator for The Argot Room, Jargon’s large party event venue.  She wants to bring a memorable experience to all guests from start to finish.  On Andrea’s off time, she is enjoying the company of her four animals and devoted partner.  She loves being creative with her art and will never turn down a chance to go see Dave Matthews Band.