Andrew K. Smith, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Savory Fund, left the tech world behind and started his restaurant career in the dish pit of his wife’s bakery. Since then, he and his team have grown over 320 restaurants, generated more than $2.5 billion in sales, and raised over $750 million across three funds.
Watch now to learn how storytelling drives scale, how founders lead, and how family stays part of the journey.
Sponsored by:
• TOAST – All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc
Chapters:
[00:59] – From Tech CEO to Dishwasher
[03:45] – Supporting His Wife’s Bakery During the 2008 Crash
[06:25] – Why Storytelling Comes Before Scaling
[15:01] – Building with Family, Not Balancing It
[17:22] – What Savory Looks for in Restaurant Brands
SPONSORS:
RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS IS PRESENTED BY TOAST —
Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.
• Toast All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc
Episode Links:
Andrew K. Smith LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewksmithsavoryfund/
Andrew K. Smith Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewksmith/?hl=en
Savory Fund Online: https://savoryfund.com/
Savory Fund LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/savoryfund/
Shauna K. Smith LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shauna-k-smith-01b18993/
Restaurantology Podcast: https://pod.link/1586461579
Key Takeaways:
Storytelling Is a Growth Strategy: At Savory Fund, storytelling is not just a branding exercise. Andrew K. Smith sees it as a core business tool that drives customer loyalty, sharpens company culture, and creates long-term momentum.
Scaling Works Best When Founders Stay Involved: Savory Fund doesn’t replace founders. It partners with them. Andrew believes the people who built the brand hold the insights and instincts that make it scalable in the first place.
Family and Business Aren’t Separate Tracks: Andrew built Savory Fund alongside his wife, Shauna, who now serves as CEO. Their approach blends personal and professional life, proving that work-life balance can be redefined as integration.
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ABOUT ANDREW K. SMITH —
Andrew K. Smith is the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Savory Fund, with more than 16 years of experience in the food service industry. He specializes in scaling high-potential restaurant concepts into multi-unit brands and has owned and operated over 450 restaurants across the country. Andrew has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of the Year by EY and by QuantumShift for his innovation, financial performance, and commitment to both business and community. At Savory Fund, he leads a team of experts who partner with brand founders to provide capital, operational expertise, and deep industry knowledge to accelerate growth. Savory focuses on scaling QSR, fast casual, polished casual, and casual dining concepts that have between 2 and 10 locations. Under Andrew’s leadership, the firm helps turn them into 50-unit or larger regional brands. Savory has successfully closed two $100 million funds in the past two years, and officially launched its third fund in 2024 with a $200 million target.
ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS —
Restaurant Influencers is a weekly video podcast series presented by Entrepreneur Media and Cali BBQ Media. Every week host and restaurant owner Shawn Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with business leaders like Shaquille O’Neal, Rob Dyrdek, Emeril Lagasse, Mayim Bialik, Jon Taffer, Robert Irvine, Toast co-founder Aman Narang, and more, about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling, marketing, branding, and how to show up where customers are engaging online.
Published by Entrepreneur Media – https://entreprenuer.com
Produced by Cali BBQ Media – https://betheshow.media
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh8L31ZpX44
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