A Santa Clarita resident worked his way up the ladder and now owns four Golden Spoon locations at age 27.

And for Adam Smith, Golden Spoon was love at first bite.

He and his mother, also “a hardcore fan,”  would go often to the Stevenson Ranch location, almost daily.

“They said, ‘Hey, you should just come work here — you’re here every day anyways,’” he recalled with a laugh.

Except on his first try, things didn’t go as planned.

Adam Smith shared his story on our YouTube channel, also.

“I applied and interviewed, but my first interview, I didn’t get the job,” Smith said. “They thought I was too young at first.”

Still just a junior at Santa Clarita Christian School, Adam Smith, having just turned 16 and not having any work experience, understood the situation.

But he was still excited for the opportunity when they called him a couple months later and asked if he was still looking for work.

“That was 2005,” Smith said. “Fast forward 10, 11 years now…”

Smith now owns all three Santa Clarita Valley Golden Spoon locations, as well as the Calabasas location.

Smith’s ascent up the ranks was relatively rapid. By his senior year, an opening presented the opportunity for him to become manager of the Stevenson Ranch location.

After managing the location for five years, Smith learned the Calabasas location was up for sale.

In his early 20s and a part-time student at COC, Smith said he wasn’t really sure what he wanted to do.

“I just decided to go for it,” he said.

So in 2011, he purchased a fledgling Calabasas location and turned it into one of Golden Spoon’s most profitable locations, earning the eye of corporate officers the first time.

His first boss at the SCV location, Evan, taught him the value of getting involved in the community, something that continues to stoke his enthusiasm for what he does.

By 2015, he was able to come full circle, purchasing the store where he held his first job in Stevenson Ranch.

“I really enjoyed those customers, I feel like I’m dreaming sometimes, I have to pinch myself to make sure it’s real,” Smith said. “It was really nice coming back.”

Also enjoying “a knack for interior design,” he redesigned the Copper Hill Drive location with a unique look that also drew the eye of Golden Spoon execs. They decided to incorporate elements of Smith’s design into the look for other locations, and Smith is also a corporate trainer for the international frozen yogurt company that’s been around more than 30 years now.

“I just wanted  a look that made people feel comfortable and that they could come here and get away from their crazy day, or their crazy life, for a couple minutes,” Smith said, “and feel calm, and just at ease with yummy yogurt.”