About Andrew

Andrew Gruel is a chef, food entrepreneur, husband, and father of four. He serves on the Huntington Beach City Council and is a frequent expert guest across major podcasts, streaming programs, and national television — including regular appearances on Gutfeld! on Fox News. He also co-hosts The SoCal Restaurant Show on AM 830 and serves as Executive Director of Save the Brave, a 501(c)(3) dedicated to supporting veterans’ mental health, as well as an advisor to The Wellness Farms.

A graduate of Johnson & Wales University in culinary arts, food service management, and food marketing, Andrew is the CEO and founder of American Gravy Restaurant Group. He is widely recognized as a community advocate: during California’s extended COVID lockdowns, he and his wife Lauren created a fund to keep restaurant employees afloat, raising more than $500,000. They were named “Pandemic Heroes” by Restaurant Business Magazine alongside Guy Fieri and José Andrés. In 2025, during the Los Angeles fires, they organized a donation center for families displaced from their homes.

Andrew’s background includes deep expertise in aquaculture, sustainable seafood sourcing, and regenerative food systems. He helped launch a marine conservation nonprofit with the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, expanding that commitment to responsible sourcing across seafood, meat, poultry, and produce.

He is the founder of Slapfish Restaurant Group, which grew from a single food truck into an award-winning international chain with 40 locations. His media work includes judging Chopped Junior with Meghan Markle, hosting the FYI series Say It to My Face, and judging Food Network’s Food Truck Face Off.

Andrew is a regular Fox News contributor and hosts the cooking and culture series American Gravy. He has appeared on NBC’s TODAY, CNN, NBC Nightly News, PBS, The Cooking Channel, and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Men’s Health, Food & Wine, Entrepreneur, and Nation’s Restaurant News. His accolades include being named one of Fast Casual’s Top 25 Business Executives, a member of Nation’s Restaurant News’ 2017 Power List, and one of Orange County’s “40 Under 40” entrepreneurs.