Meet the Team
Design and Grow Partners (DAG) is led by hospitality operators and consultants who have launched, operated, and grown their own businesses. We combine design, construction, front-of-house, back-of-house, finance, and project management experience to help owners bring new concepts to life with less guesswork and more confidence.
Andrew Foster
Principal & Co-Founder
Andrew is a hospitality entrepreneur, business strategist, and restaurant executive with extensive experience building, operating, and growing multi-unit restaurant concepts. His expertise combines operational leadership with financial analysis, engineering, and strategic planning, giving clients a practical, data-driven approach to launching and scaling successful hospitality businesses.
As Co-Founder and COO of FreshFin, Andrew has helped grow the company into a successful multi-unit restaurant brand while overseeing operations, financial performance, technology implementation, business analytics, and long-term expansion strategy. He has also played a key role in launching additional hospitality concepts, including Waking Daisy and other emerging brands.
Recognizing that successful restaurants require more than great food and creative branding, Andrew co-founded Design & Grow Partners to help restaurant owners, hospitality groups, and investors build businesses that are financially sound, operationally efficient, and positioned for sustainable growth. He works closely with clients on feasibility studies, financial forecasting, operational systems, startup planning, technology implementation, business analytics, and organizational development.
Before entering the hospitality industry, Andrew built a successful career in engineering, earning his Professional Engineer (PE) license and developing expertise in project management, process improvement, and analytical problem-solving. Combined with his MBA, this background continues to shape his structured approach to business strategy, financial planning, and operational excellence.
Andrew is passionate about helping entrepreneurs turn ambitious ideas into successful businesses. He believes the strongest hospitality companies are built through thoughtful planning, disciplined execution, continuous innovation, and a commitment to creating exceptional experiences for both guests and employees.
Nicholas Gonring
Director of Culinary Strategy
Nicholas Gonring is a nationally recognized culinary strategist and hospitality consultant with nearly two decades of experience helping developers, hospitality organizations, food manufacturers, and multi-unit operators create distinctive culinary experiences that strengthen brands, elevate guest satisfaction, and improve financial performance.
His career spans executive restaurant leadership, luxury hospitality, food manufacturing, and corporate culinary strategy, providing a unique perspective that bridges culinary innovation with operational excellence and business growth. During his tenure with the largest privately held foodservice distributor in North America, Nicholas advanced to North American Corporate Consulting Chef, where he led culinary strategy, directed regional culinary teams, collaborated on product innovation, and partnered with many of the industry's leading regional and national restaurant organizations.
Today, as Director of Culinary Strategy for Design and Grow Partners, Nicholas advises hotel developers, hospitality groups, and food manufacturers on concept development, menu engineering, operational strategy, product commercialization, and guest experience. His collaborative approach combines market intelligence, culinary creativity, and financial discipline to develop food and beverage programs that are innovative, operationally sustainable, and positioned for long-term success.
Nicholas approaches every engagement with the belief that exceptional hospitality begins long before a guest sits down to dine. Successful foodservice programs are built through thoughtful concept development, disciplined operational planning, market intelligence, and a relentless commitment to delivering memorable guest experiences. His collaborative approach enables owners, developers, architects, operators, and culinary teams to align around a shared vision while creating concepts that are operationally sustainable, financially successful, and differentiated within their markets.
Nate Arkush
Principal & Co-Founder
Nate is a hospitality entrepreneur, restaurant executive, and business strategist with more than 25 years of experience launching, scaling, and leading successful restaurant concepts. His expertise spans every stage of the restaurant lifecycle—from concept creation and development to multi-unit operations, financial management, marketing, technology, team leadership, and long-term growth.
As Founder and CEO of FreshFin, Nate has grown the company into a successful multi-unit restaurant brand recognized for its fresh, high-quality cuisine, operational discipline, and exceptional guest experience. In 2025, he co-founded Waking Daisy, an elevated brunch concept in Wisconsin that blends chef-driven food, thoughtful hospitality, and a refined yet approachable dining experience.
Drawing on decades of firsthand operating experience, Nate co-founded Design & Grow Partners to help restaurant owners, hospitality groups, and investors build stronger businesses. He partners with clients on restaurant concept development, operational strategy, financial performance, menu engineering, marketing, vendor negotiations, leadership development, and new restaurant openings.
Before becoming an entrepreneur, Nate spent nearly a decade with Starwood Hotels & Resorts (now part of Marriott International), where he held progressive leadership roles in food and beverage operations, hotel management, and group convention sales. His hospitality foundation continues to shape his approach to service excellence, operational consistency, and organizational leadership.
Nate believes exceptional hospitality is built on disciplined execution, empowered teams, and continuous improvement. He is passionate about helping clients create memorable guest experiences while building businesses that are operationally efficient, financially strong, and positioned for sustainable long-term growth.
Why Owners Work With DAG
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We’ve launched and operated our own restaurant concepts, ranging from QSR to full-service.
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We understand tight margins and build concepts that are realistic, not theoretical.
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We speak the language of both the kitchen and the construction site.
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We have deep industry knowledge and a broad network of chefs, contractors, and design professionals that we partner with for our clients.