Aurify Kingstar is a NYC-based high-impact investment platform focused on opportunities in the hospitality, restaurant, and
health & wellness sectors that capitalize on evolving consumer preferences and positively impact people’s lives.
We are entrepreneurs and operators. We are passionate about identifying promising, next-generation concepts and investing alongside talented fellow entrepreneurs to create sustainable, long-term businesses and brands.
Aurify Kingstar was founded in 2005 and has grown to become New York City’s largest independent restaurant operator by creating, acquiring and growing exceptional brands.
Aurify Kingstar has earned its place as a preeminent operator / partner in the hospitality industry, with extensive operational experience, years of brand building, a vast network of industry professionals, access to culinary and creative talent, and proprietary deal flow.
Our experience spans a broad range of asset types and transactions, including start-up ventures, high-growth brands, distressed M&A, special situations and investing in and developing hospitality enabling technologies.
We’re operators first. Everything we build starts there.
We don’t just invest in and run companies. We have spent our entire careers creating content that appeals to broad audiences. Our approach to content creation has resonated with consumers and has resulted in the creation of great brands and businesses. Over the years, we have become leaders in innovation and hospitality and have established extensive ties throughout the industry with founders, entrepreneurs, creatives, professional services, and consumers.
People
An army of talent behind every operator. Finance, HR, procurement, legal, construction, IT — all centralized so the people running restaurants can focus on running restaurants.
Process
Institutionalized best practices across every brand. We harden operations — replacing gut feel with systems, replacing tribal knowledge with repeatable workflows that scale.
Data & Technology
A modern, integrated tech stack built without legacy debt. Real-time reporting, demand forecasting, predictive labor scheduling, and centralized maintenance tracking — all connected, all talking to each other.
Key Credential
01
20+ years acquiring, operating, and scaling multi-unit restaurant concepts.
02
Backed by world-class capital partners including Eldridge Industries.
03
Proven track record across franchise and original brand portfolios.
04
Ranked among the top operators in both the Five Guys and Wingstop systems.
05
Centralized platform powering finance, HR, IT, procurement, real estate, and construction across all brands.
Founders
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John Rigos
Co-CEO Aurify Kingstar
20+ Years Hospitality Operations, Strategy and Finance
University of Pennsylvania, INSEAD
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Andy Stern
Co-CEO Aurify Kingstar
20+ Years Hospitality Operations and Investing Technology + Branding
Vanderbilt University
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