The restaurant investment firm makes pivotal promotions to its C-Suite as it prepares to add more than 1,700 new jobs and 75 stores in 2025
Savory, an innovative private equity firm that invests in emerging restaurant brands such as Swig and Via 313 Pizzeria, announced two key appointments: Jessica Moyer as Chief Restaurant Officer and Alonso Castañeda as Chief Concept Officer.
These strategic promotions come after a banner year for the private equity firm. In January 2024, Savory acquired the beloved D.C.-based South Block, and nine months later, it exited a majority position in Mo’ Bettahs Hawaiian Style Food after growing it from 6 to 56 locations. In 2024, Savory also opened 67 stores across its 10 brands, earned $356 million in revenue, and added nearly 6,000 jobs across 22 states.
Formerly Savory’s VP of Learning and Development, Moyer has been with Savory for eight years, where she has been instrumental in creating the platform’s leadership training institute and developing leaders both at Savory and its restaurant brands. Moyer began her career at Best Buy, rising from cashier to general manager of the highest-volume location in the state of Utah (of more than 100 locations at the time, only 14 were run by women). She then moved to the restaurant industry where she has led, trained, and developed leaders and teams across multiple brands.
In her new role as Chief Restaurant Officer, Moyer will focus on strategic planning, operations management, and team leadership across Savory’s platform of diverse brands.
“Wherever Jessica leads, people follow,” said Andrew K. Smith, managing director and co-founder of Savory Fund. “She has incredible vision, powerful communication skills, and enviable industry acumen. Savory has more effective leaders and teams because of the foundation Jessica has created. I’m excited and energized — both for her and for Savory — to see what she will accomplish in this new role.”
“Savory gives me the opportunity to do what I love — develop talent, scale operations, and engage in the hard work of growth,” said Moyer, CRO. “Savory provides the unique platform to partner with restaurant entrepreneurs to make their growth dreams a reality, and I’m truly honored to be a part of that journey. I’m grateful for this opportunity to better serve our brands, their founders, and their leaders.”
Castañeda, formerly Savory’s VP of Brand Development & Strategy, has been at Savory for 10 years, focusing on the strategic oversight of brand initiatives, brand campaigns, and the implementation of consumer-facing systems. Throughout his career, he has specialized in taking fast casual and polished F&B concepts and scaling them into 50-unit+ powerhouses. In 2024 — in addition to his role at Savory — he was named President of Miami-based PINCHO, a Savory brand that dishes up award-winning burgers and kebabs.
In his new role as Chief Concept Officer, Castañeda will focus on implementing innovative restaurant strategies, enhancing customer experiences, and driving revenue and sustainable growth by aligning creative vision with operational excellence.
“It’s a privilege and a delight to work with Alonso. He’s experienced, consistent, insightful, and strategic — and he is pivotal to Savory’s success,” said Shauna K. Smith, CEO of Savory. “He’s a true value-add executive who expertly moves the needle every day, and I can’t wait to watch him excel in this new role as Chief Concept Officer. His stealth vision and know-how are just what Savory needs as we embark on an ambitious growth trajectory in 2025.”
“I’m honored to step into this new role, and I look forward to collaborating further with our talented teams and partners to drive innovation, elevate operational excellence, and create value for our stakeholders,” said Castañeda, CCO. “There’s nothing better than pushing boundaries and working arm-in-arm with leadership to help shape the future of our amazing emerging brands. It’s been an incredible 10 years at Savory, and I can’t wait to get started on the next decade.”
