In 2021, South Block founder Amir Mostafavi attended Restaurantology as an energized operator. At the conference, Savory — which is a private equity firm that invests in emerging restaurant concepts — presented an “investor scorecard” for brands to document their metrics and see where they stood from an investor’s perspective. Mostafavi filled out his scorecard and quickly realized South Block was surpassing the ideal metrics on all fronts.

Two years later, South Block became an official Savory brand — with Mostafavi’s Restaurantology® journey coming full circle on stage as a panelist in 2023.

At its core, this is what Restaurantology is all about: operators supporting operators.

“A rising tide lifts all ships — and we want everyone to win,” said Andrew K. Smith, co-founder and managing director of Savory Fund. “We launched Restaurantology® to create an environment for brands to come together, learn from one another, and work together to elevate the restaurant landscape. Every year, we leave inspired by the innovation of our industry. This is the only conference in the country run by operators, for operators. There are no sales pitches, no pressure to sign up for anything, and no cost for anyone to attend.”

The jam-packed one-day schedule will include informative panels and Q&As featuring industry veterans the likes of Clay Dover (CEO, Velvet Taco), Nate Garn (President, Sizzling Platter), Daniel Batty (Chief Development Officer, Swig), Brian Simowtiz (VP, Corporate and Franchise Operations, Slim Chickens) and Savory executives. The 2024 agenda includes a host of topics pertinent to restaurant operators today — specifically growth strategies, increasing traffic, franchising, team mental health training, marketing & loyalty, real estate, pricing strategies, and more.

On top of it all, Savory is picking up the bill. Restaurantology is 100 percent covered by Savory and its select group of partners — from the conference to the parking to the food. This is made possible by industry leaders: Coca-Cola, Middleby, Ecolab, and Sysco.

Guests can request their spot at RestaurantologySummit.com — and hurry because seats will sell out as they did in 2023.

Additionally, Savory is in the middle of Season 2 of its popular Restaurantology Podcast. Episodes feature 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.