Andrew’s love for food and restaurants of “The City” started at age 7 when the proud Jersey boy would accompany his mother to her regular trips to the Elizabeth Arden Spa.

Andrew set off to take the world by storm. First stop: Della Femina Advertising. However, when he landed the Bide-a-Wee Pet Cemetery account, he knew in his heart that traditional advertising wasn’t for him.

The French Culinary Institute where Andrew worked alongside Jacques Pépin.

Andrew honed his restaurant skills at iconic New York City venues The Rainbow Room, Windows on the World, and the Russian Tea Room where he opened the Cabaret, which quickly became the toast of the town.

Culinary icon, Julia Child celebrates her 80th birthday at the Rainbow Room. 10 years later, Andrew also takes part in arranging Julia’s 90th Birthday Celebration at The Fifth Floor!

With the knowledge and skills gained in New York City, Andrew moved to San Francisco taking on an exciting new role Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants as Director of Restaurant Marketing. Andrew’s home for nine years, the experience led him to the role of Vice President of Public Relations and Strategic Partnerships for both the hotel and restaurant divisions.

af&co. opens its doors in 2005, on a mission to create a full service hospitality consulting firm specializing in strategic communications and concept development. Cheers with Kechia Ley, Andrew’s partner in crime and af&co.’s very first VP/employee.

“We’re at a tipping point, with gays coming out in society and business,” says Andrew Freeman of AF&Co., a hospitality and restaurant consultancy in San Francisco. “All of a sudden, we’ve become a great market for all industries to go after.” – USA Toda

In 2009, af&co. released its very first annual trend report with Leith Steel as our first “trendologist.” The report has become a valuable industry resource and continues to evolve each year informing our clients of what’s on the horizon for the coming year.

af&co.’s expansion continues as the agency begins to produce culinary events and experiential marketing.

SF Chefs, San Francisco’s Food & Wine festival debuts on Union Square, created for the Golden Gate Restaurant Association.

Andrew’s Big Night: Awarded One of the Most Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality Marketing by HSMAI. Since then, we’re proud to have won numerous awards celebrating our work. Throughout the years, Andrew has been named CEO of the Year by PR News, and one of the San Francisco Business Times’ Outstanding LGBTQ+ Voices of 2025, among other honors. As an agency, we’ve been named a Top 100 PR Agency by The PR Net, as well as Small Agency of the Year by PRSA in 2022.

The af&co. team help open Tyler Florence’s Wayfare Tavern in San Francisco. Always an honor to work with some of the industry’s best and brightest culinary stars.

Now a full-sized agency with several employees, af&co. expands to offer strategic marketing, public relations, social media planning, concept development and operations/talent acquisition.

af&co. Throws a “Freeunion” party raising money for Dress For Success: San Francisco, Meals on Wheels of San Francisco, Richmond/Ermet Aid Foundation, and Cheer San Francisco. af&co. alumni and clients from across the country all came to celebrate.

Originally af&co.’s Consulting Services division, Andrew and Candace partnered to officially launch Carbonate continuing to expand the agency’s creative services and brand strategy offerings for clients coast-to-coast.

Following in footsteps of af&co.’s original “pupfluencers” Daisy and Tulip, Dolly heads the pack as the agency’s unofficial mascot.

When the pandemic hit, we rolled up our sleeves and immersed ourselves even more deeply into our work with the Golden Gate Restaurant Association. We helped launch a GGRA webinar series to keep the restaurant industry connected and informed throughout a tumultuous time, and we pivoted Eat Drink SF from a large-scale food festival into ten days of ticketed events taking place directly in restaurants throughout the city. We’re proud of how our industry weathered the storm!

In 2022, Dress for Success celebrated their 16th anniversary in San Francisco, honoring Andrew as a co-founder of the chapter. Andrew has always been active in his community, with board positions with Meals on Wheels, Foodwise, Project Open Hand, the Richmond/Ermet Aid Foundation, San Francisco Travel, and Golden Gate Restaurant under his belt. He also co-founded the Oakland Restaurant Collective and its consumer brand, Savor Oakland, to showcase the city’s dynamic and diverse culinary scene.

As we approach our 20th anniversary, af&co officially launched an office in Los Angeles in early 2025. With team members and clients throughout Southern California, we’re excited for even more buzz-worthy launches, unforgettable events, and game-changing strategies for restaurants, hotels, and lifestyle brands across California.

From team retreats to ribbon cuttings to hotel openings, we love spending time with our clients, and with each other! We’re believers in hospitality through and through - let’s raise a glass to that.