Rising Stars: Meet Andrew Smith of Sherman Oaks

Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrew Smith.

Hi Andrew, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Sweet Butter Kitchen began as a passion project by my mom, Leslie Danelian, in 2009. After years of working as a chef consultant for television and as a caterer, she felt a pull to open a restaurant of her own. During the recession, she would drive past a vacant building on a quiet corner in Sherman Oaks and felt compelled to bring life back to it. That idea became Sweet Butter — a place built on warmth, community, and home-cooked food.

Every night, our family would gather around the dinner table and eat a meal she had spent the day preparing. Many of those recipes, along with dishes she learned and perfected alongside her mother and grandmother, became the foundation of Sweet Butter’s menu. Her philosophy was simple: start with impeccable ingredients, cook with love, and let the food speak for itself.

After my mom passed away in 2015, my sister and I found ourselves stepping into the role of running Sweet Butter. Over the past nine years, I’ve grown deeply passionate about continuing what she started. Her spirit is everywhere: in the recipes, the decor, and the sense of home our guests feel when they walk through the door. For me, it’s a way to stay connected to her, and now my children — and my sister’s children — get to experience the heart of what she created, even though they never had the chance to meet her.

Today, my focus is on honoring and evolving my mom’s vision. We continue to cook from scratch, using fresh, local, extraordinary ingredients, and we work hard to create a place that feels like coming home — warm, welcoming, and deeply cared for. We’ve also expanded by roasting our own coffee here in Los Angeles, crafted specifically to complement our food. It’s bold, rich, and complex, without the excessive acidity that’s common in a lot of newer coffee styles. I’m incredibly excited about where we are and where we’re headed. Sweet Butter has always been built on love, and it still is today.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I don’t think there’s any such thing as a smooth road for a restaurant. You’re always, to some extent, on edge. When things are going well, you can’t help but worry about what might flip everything upside down. There’s always something to work on, something to improve.

Running a scratch kitchen adds even more complexity. Every dish we serve starts long before it reaches the table — with the farmers and producers who grow and make our ingredients. Then our prep cooks build the foundations: the dressings, the sauces, the homemade chips, the house-roasted turkey sliced fresh for sandwiches. From there, our line cooks assemble those elements into the finished dishes our guests enjoy. Each step is critical. We place care and attention at every level because we believe that when food is made with excellent ingredients and real craftsmanship, your body can feel the difference.

Learning and mastering each of these levels was a real challenge for me. I fell into running Sweet Butter, and being a perfectionist by nature, I quickly realized that perfecting the complexities of a restaurant is a lifelong pursuit — one that’s only possible if you’re driven by passion and love. Over time, I’ve become obsessed with understanding every layer of how our restaurant works, honoring the traditions that got us here while always asking “why?” and looking for ways to be better.

Of course, COVID and inflation have been major challenges too — and with inflation, continue to be. But to me, the real challenge is what it has always been: staying committed to constant improvement, while staying true to the soul of what Sweet Butter was built on.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Sweet Butter is a breakfast and lunch restaurant specializing in homemade, rustic Californian cuisine. We focus on doing the traditional really well — cooking from scratch, using fresh, local ingredients, and creating food that not only tastes delicious but leaves you feeling good.

We’re known for a few things: our cozy, welcoming atmosphere, our all-out holiday decorations, and being a true gathering place for the neighborhood. Sweet Butter has become a part of daily life for many people in our community, and that’s something we’re very proud of.

What sets us apart is the heart and care our staff puts into everything we do. You simply can’t have a great restaurant without great people, and we’re fortunate to have a team that genuinely loves hospitality. From the kitchen to the counter to the dining room, there’s a culture of pride in what we create — and I believe our guests can feel that warmth when they visit, and taste it in every dish.

I’m proud of a lot of things we’ve built, but I’m most proud of staying true to my mom’s original vision: making a place where people feel taken care of, and where food is made with real love and intention.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Something a lot of people don’t realize is that Sweet Butter is truly a family-owned and operated restaurant. My mom started it, and today my sister and I continue to run it. It’s still very personal for us — not just a business, but something deeply connected to our family’s story and spirit.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sweetbutterkitchen.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetbutterkitchen