Husband-and-wife team Kenny and Stephanie Branche traded in their jobs in banking and pharmaceuticals for a turn at the grill.

The Branches recently marked the opening of their K & S Gas & Grill in the River Run Shopping Center at 4922 Long Beach Road in Southport.

Kenny Branche’s past career included stints serving in the U.S. Air Force, working as a mortgage broker and spending nearly 15 years with State Employees’ Credit Union after they moved to Raleigh. Stephanie Branche, who holds a degree in microbiology, worked in the pharmaceutical industry for nearly three decades.

But a side effort of investing in real estate for a couple of decades and Kenny Branche’s passion for cooking and food lead them to their newest career as restaurant owners.

In 2014, the couple bought a home in Oak Island and soon after came across a convenience store in Southport called CJ’s that was up for sale, according to a recent announcement from the Southport-Oak Island Chamber of Commerce.

They bought the property, finished the commercial kitchen and added a grill. Besides continuing the convenience store, gas station and self-serve car wash operations of the former CJ’s, the Branches recently rolled out a menu with nods to their upbringing in Philadelphia. 

Options include grill classics such as Philly cheese steaks and hoagies, hamburgers, grilled hot dogs and Krispy Krunchy Chicken. The sides menu features fried corn, candied yams and mac-n-cheese.