Orlando-based restaurant chain Hawkers has partnered with Savory Fund, a private equity firm in Lehi, Utah, according to a June 12 news release.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Hawkers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September 2024 and voluntarily withdrew from Chapter 11 in February 2025 after restructuring the loan from the previous lender.
“I’ve been watching Hawkers for years. The food, the energy, the following — it’s magnetic,” Andrew K. Smith, co-founder and managing director of Savory Fund, said in the release.
“From my very first visit, I knew there was something special here. And over time, my conviction only deepened.”
The two Hawkers restaurants in Duval County are at 1001 Park St. in Five Points and 241 Atlantic Blvd. in Neptune Beach.
They are among the 15 Hawkers in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
The restaurant was started in the Orlando area in 2011 by four friends – Kaleb Harrell, Allen Lo, Wayne Yung, and Kin Ho – who wanted to recreate the cuisine of Asian street food.
Savory Fund was formed in 2009. It has $750 millioni n assets. It specializes in partnering with emerging restaurant brands. It works with original ownership contributing directly to all “aspects of growth and replication by using a proven playbook and methodology” according to its mission statement.
Savory Fund has 11 other restaurant partners.
Initially it will concentrate on growing existing restaurants in Orlando; Atlanta; Dallas; Charlotte, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; and Washington D.C.
“We built Hawkers on heart, hustle, and a hunger to share everything that makes Asian street food special,” Kaleb Harrell said in the release.
“Over the years, it’s become clear that this brand has the potential to be something bigger than we ever dreamt it could be — and finding the right partner is crucial to achieving that goal. Savory is that partner.”