OUR LEADERSHIP

Starting as a dishwasher in his parents’ restaurant, Brandon couldn’t have imagined the impact a career in restaurants would have on his life. His love for service has been central to his success, guiding him through his leadership of several incredible teams while serving countless guests. Finding Barbecue was a turning point for Brandon, aligning his passion for service with creating world-class BBQ.

With his career beginning at Rib Crib Corporation, Brandon honed his skills as a pitmaster and Executive, helping to build his first franchise. He then served as VP of Franchising for the 20+ unit concept from 2008 to 2012 until transitioning into CEO of Sonny’s BBQ, a 140+ unit franchise concept. During his six years as CEO for Sonny’s, Brandon led a transformation for the brand which included revitalizing the menu, recipes, branding, and operational upgrades as well as overseeing 80 remodels as well as a double-digit same store sales increase over a three-year period.  Sonny’s is as strong today as it was in 1968.

An opportunity to purchase six Sonny’s in Orlando led Brandon to iServ, where he and his partners became Sonny’s largest franchisee and oversaw new developments, adding three concepts included Symmetry Coffee Co, Giovanni’s Pizzeria, Jeremiah’s Italian Ice and ten additional Sonny’s locations.

Last year, Brandon and his family returned to their roots in Tulsa, where Brandon launched Foundry Hospitality and Manly Consulting to pursue his true passion: restaurant operations and creating growth for emerging brands, working alongside some of the best in the industry.

In the role as Chief Executive Officer, Brandon is responsible for overall company strategy, vision and leadership for The Foundry Group.

Joe serves as Chief Strategy Officer for The Foundry Group, with a focus on strategy and identifying investment opportunities that are in line with our vision.  Joe also currently serves as the Owner and managing partner of JH Development, LLC, where he manages multi-million-dollar revenue streams for both accountability and efficiency while implementing systems to increase the accuracy of both.

Over his career, Joe has managed the acquisition and development of commercial real estate and the subsequent construction process to result in the opening of 31 stores over 7 years.  Joe’s previous experience also includes the development of a 23-unit Marco’s Pizza portfolio and 4 Unit Orange Theory fitness, both with successful exits to private equity, the development of Carolina Mattress and Furniture from 1 to 5 locations in 2 years, the development of 6 Scooter’s Coffee locations in 8 months and the creation and operation of several self-serve membership wine bars under the name Molto Vino.

In a previous role, Joe served as a Development Associate / Broker at NAI Avant, where he engaged in the development and brokerage of over 8 million dollars worth of commercial and investment real estate assets in the worst economic climate in recent years.

As a Combat Infantry Platoon Leader, Joe also completed over 250 combat assignments in war-torn Ramadi, Iraq, earning multiple combat related accolades as well as recovering from wounds received in action to return to fight alongside his men. Performance rated as being in the “top 5%” of leaders that the rater had evaluated over the last nine years.

Joe has also been recognized as a “20 under 40” recipient, a 2016 Veteran Businessperson of the Year by the Small Business Association, and a 2016 Columbia Young Professional of the Year.  During his time as a franchisee for Marco’s Pizza, his units were recognized as top store sales award winners from 2013 – 2015, he was awarded Franchisee of the Year in 2013, and he was awarded the Highest Area Representative Sales awarded in 2014.

With over a decade of experience in public accounting, Betsy’s academic and professional journey began at the University of South Carolina, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting followed by a Master’s of Taxation from the esteemed Darla Moore School of Business.

Betsy has served clients across a wide range of industries, gaining a deep understanding of the unique financial challenges businesses face. Betsy’s previous experience includes work in the franchise industry as Controller for Terminix Service, Inc.  Terminix Service has repeatedly been ranked as one of the top ten pest control companies in the United States, with over 60 locations across Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. In this role, Betsy led the accounting department, managing the financial operations for all 60 locations as well as the corporate office, where she implemented strategies to drive efficiency and ensure compliance across the company’s diverse operations.

Betsy is a licensed CPA and an active member of the South Carolina Association of CPAs. She values continuing education and stays current with industry trends to provide the best possible service to her colleagues and clients.

In her role as CFO for Foundry, Betsy manages the company’s financial resources, budgets, and financial reporting to ensure the organization.

Outside of her professional life, Betsy is a member of First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC. She also serves on the board of the Carolina Children’s Home as well as the A.C. Flora High School PTSO, contributing to the fundraising committee. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband, Brent, and their two children, Price and Kate.

Andrew is a seasoned entrepreneur who has operated companies/partnerships in various fields of industry (restaurant franchising, print marketing, and income generating real estate partnerships). With a solid background in business management, operational planning and revenue generation, Andrew serves as President of Foundry Hospitality, and is responsible for overseeing portfolio operations, strategic direction, and execution of the brand to drive growth and deliver and exceptional customer experience.

Prior to his current role, Andrew served as Partner and COO of Walreed Bev Co, a multi-unit Scooter’s Coffee holding company with locations throughout the Carolinas.

From May 2017 – April 2021, Andrew was COO of the largest individually owned Marco’s Pizza franchise group (JH Development) in the country, proudly serving and leading 400+ hard working team members.  In this role, he oversaw all day-to-day operations for 21 Marco’s Pizza franchise locations throughout SC, NC, & VA.  In addition, he was a Marco’ s Pizza  franchisee as operating partner of WalReed Pizza Co, a multi-unit holding company that maintained a $1 million+ AUV.

From January 2014 – May 2017, Andrew served as Marketing Director for JH Development, leading all marketing efforts for 21 Marco’s Pizza franchise locations across SC, NV & VA.  During this time, the company consistently ranked #1 in the brand for Multi-Unit AUV.

Andrew’s past experience also includes owning and operating Direct Print & Marketing, a targeted direct mail company that works with with franchise concepts across the country to create and implement effective, targeted direct-mail campaigns to drive trail and increase spend.

Steve, a Columbia Restaurant Hall of Fame 2024 inductee, oversees Foundry Management, a portfolio of privately owned and operated specialty concepts across South Carolina.

Steve is the current owner of Saluda’s Restaurant, a premiere dining destination in the heart of Columbia’s Five Points neighborhood and is also owner of Columbia’s Il Bucato Pizza and Arroyo Tacos & Tequila. In 2025, he was recognized by South Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association as Restaurateur of the Year during their Stars of the Industry Awards Gala, a prestigious event that celebrates excellence in the hospitality industry.

In addition to his role in restaurants, Steve has served the community in a variety of ways, including as a Board Member of the Columbia Executive and Owners Association, Council President of Incarnation Lutheran Church, Advisory Council for the Inaugural Columbia Food & Wine Festival, the City of Columbia’s Task Force to Prevent and End Homelessness, Festival Chair for Saint Pat’s in Five Points from 2020-2022 and served as President of the Five Points Association from 2019-2023.

Steve currently serves as a Board Member and Vice President of the Five Points Merchants Association, Executive Board Member of the South Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association and is a Commissioner on the City of Columbia Planning Commission. He and his wife JoAnne live in Lake Katharine and have three children, Steven III, Creighton and Gloria

Casey Cooley launched his career in the franchise industry in 2012, when he joined the franchise development team at Sweet Frog Frozen Yogurt.  During that time, Casey helped launch Sweet Frog’s franchise program and grow the chain to 380 units in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Egypt and grew the company to over $34.4 million in revenue.

After his success at Sweet Frog, Casey sought new challenges, serving as General Manager of Sports Reality Performance Training, where helped launch a training center in Richmond, VA and managed all aspects of the business.

Later, Casey transitioned to Marco’s Pizza, where he held the role of Director of Franchise Development. Casey helped launch the brand into new emerging markets in the Midwest and West Coast.

Most recently, Casey served as President of Pivotal Growth Partners, consulting both emerging brands and business owners alike in their reaching their goals and aspirations through franchising.  In this role, Casey was part of the team that spearheaded the franchise program and led growth for brands such as Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, who increase its number of units from 19 to more than 150 in a span of 5 years.

In 2023, Casey was recognized on the QSR Young Leaders Award List for demonstrating remarkable resilience, creativity and adaptability in the restaurant space.

Amanda Szparka is no stranger to helping brands grow. With previous experience in B2B marketing within the AEC industry, she began her time in the franchise industry at Marco’s Pizza in 2015 as Project Manager, assisting both the Directors of Design and Construction and acting as a liaison between franchisees, area representatives, vendors and the Marco’s corporate office.

As Project Manager, she tracked upwards of 300 stores at one time within a three-year pipeline and provided assistance in some form or another during the development of 100+ new stores, including the development of six company-owned stores for which she served as a primary point of contact. Amanda took on additional responsibilities as Operations Services Manager where she worked cross-functionally with multiple departments to drive results, minimize expenses, and maximize efficiencies within the organization, expanding further, her knowledge of the inner workings of a successful franchise company.

Following her time at Marco’s, Amanda served as VP of Integration for Pivotal Growth Partners (PGP), with a primary focus on franchise launch strategy and developing systems for scalability. During her time at PGP, she served as an instrumental part of the leadership team responsible for the build-out and launch of several emerging franchise programs. Notably, Amanda was part of the team that spearheaded the franchise launch and rapid expansion of Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, which reached more than 150 locations over 5 years.

In 2024, Amanda was featured in Franchise Journal’s  “The Women’s Issue,” which celebrates women who make a difference every day in the franchising world.