Savory Fund and Harrington Park Advisors are proud to announce that the acquisition of Mo’ Bettahs Hawaiian Style Food by Blue Marlin Partners and Trive Capital has been named the 2025 Food & Beverage Deal of the Year by Mergers & Acquisitions.
The Mo’ Bettahs deal was distinguished not by headline value, but by its premium growth valuation — executed in a challenging environment for restaurant M&A. At the time of the transaction, Mo’ Bettahs operated 56 company-owned locations across seven states. Today, the brand has grown to 63 locations and continues to expand with a robust development pipeline that includes a total of 15 stores projected to open in 2025.
Savory retained a significant minority stake in the transaction, and Blue Marlin Partners and Trive Capital have been the perfect partners to continue Mo’ Bettahs’ astounding growth trajectory.
“This recognition is a testament to the vision, heart, and grit of the Mo’ Bettahs founders and team,” said Andrew K. Smith, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Savory Fund, which acquired Mo’ Bettahs when it had just six locations. “From our first meeting with Kimo and Kalani Mack to today, we’ve believed in the authenticity, scalability, and cultural resonance of the concept. We are grateful to our partners at Harrington Park Advisors for their thoughtful, strategic guidance — and to Blue Marlin and Trive for leading the next chapter of growth.”
“We’re honored by this recognition from Mergers & Acquisitions and grateful to Savory Fund and Mo’ Bettahs founders, Kimo and Kalani Mack, for trusting us with such an important mandate,” said Ashish Seth, Founder and Managing Director at Harrington Park Advisors.
“In a relatively muted environment for restaurant M&A, this deal stood out — not just for the premium valuation achieved, but also for its context. While many of the year’s headline transactions involved large, franchised platforms favored by private equity, Mo’ Bettahs was a mid-cap, company-operated brand. This successful transaction and recognition from Mergers & Acquisitions reflects the brand’s authenticity, strong unit economics, broad consumer appeal, and the stewardship of its founders and Savory.”
Mo’ Bettahs joins a select group of transactions recognized in the 2025 Middle Market Deals of the Year by Mergers & Acquisitions.
