Here’s the dish: For the sixth year in a row, Savory Fund, an innovative private equity firm that invests in emerging restaurant concepts, will host Restaurantology, the only conference in the industry that is run by operators, for operators.
On Oct. 1, at Hale Centre Theatre in Salt Lake City, Utah, 700 restaurant operators, founders, and executives from the most exciting emerging brands will come together for a feast of personal, powerful lessons from their peers and industry leaders. What’s more, Savory is picking up the bill. Restaurantology is 100 percent covered by Savory — from the conference to the parking to the food.
Guests can request their spot at RestaurantologySummit.com — and seats will sell out.
“Restaurantology has been one of the most rewarding endeavors Savory has undertaken,” says Andrew K. Smith, managing partner and co-founder of Savory Fund. “Our No. 1 goal with Restaurantology is to lift the tide. When we learn from each other, we all win, and there is no better resource for restaurant operators than to learn from other operators who have been through the trenches. It’s an invaluable day filled with strategic insights and heartfelt anecdotes.”
The jam-packed schedule will include informative panels and Q&As featuring industry veterans and Savory executives. They’ll talk strategies, wins, losses, origin stories, and how to break barriers in a competitive market.
Additionally, Savory launched Season 2 of its popular Restaurantology Podcast, hosted by Andrew Smith. The first episode of the new season features Amir Mostafavi, founder and CEO of South Block, which was acquired by Savory Fund in January of this year. Subsequent episodes will feature additional founder stories, as well as industry tips, trends, and tricks of the trade.
Savory can talk the talk because it’s walked the walk. It is currently invested in 11 brands, including Swig, Via 313, Hash Kitchen, and Mo’ Bettahs. It’s also growing — and fast. Savory projects to hire an astounding 9,000 employees in 2024 across its varied portfolio. It has also facilitated powerful partnerships. In November 2022, Utah icon The Larry H. Miller Company acquired the majority ownership of Swig, with Savory retaining a significant minority stake.