Andrew Arbogast, Arbo’s Cheese Dip
Meet a multi-talented, multi-hyphenated Memphis changemaker! Andrew Arbogast of Arbogast Foods is a combat veteran, a graduate of Northwest Missouri State University, and the creator of Arbo’s Cheese Dip. In 2022, he was named one of Memphis Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 business leaders and received MBJ’s Emerging Entrepreneur Award. A husband and father of two, Andrew wears a lot of hats, but says he wouldn’t have it any other way.
On Episode #8 of Just Bluffin’, Andrew shared his incredible story of how his military service transformed into entrepreneurship.
A native of Memphis, Andrew Arbogast left home at the age of 13 to go to boarding school in Arkansas. “Every time I would come back home, I wanted dad's cheese dip,” Andrew said. “We had Sunday suppers with around 10 other families, and Dad always had to bring the cheese dip.”
Andrew started making cheese dip using his dad’s recipe for gatherings and parties in college and flight school. “Honestly, to eat it brings me back home,” he added.
Andrew always had a passion for food. He grew up watching his dad cook and eating homemade Sicilian cuisine prepared by his aunt Nina. He started out in college majoring in food service management, but switched to psychology when it seemed to align better with his goals for a career in the military.
“Before you know it, I'm graduating, I'm commissioning into the Army as a second lieutenant, and I'm going to flight school in Alabama to fly helicopters, which I thought was a super sexy job. And it is at first. But then you realize, this is a lot of weight on your shoulders,” he said.
Andrew described his time in the military as fulfilling. As an aviator, he was able to support troops on the ground. But as he progressed through his career as an officer, he found himself doing more paperwork and less flying! The time was ripe for a change, and when he returned from his last tour in Afghanistan, he began looking for his next move.
“My wife, our twins and I were living in Savannah, Georgia,” he told us. “I decided to get on with corporate, make a bunch of money over time, and buy that lake house that we've always wanted, which I don't have, which is fine, because my plans changed. I just thought making money would be the most convenient way for me to be happy. And it sucked.”
Andrew knew it was a risk to quit his job where he had a great career trajectory, but says he has become a better person, a better father, and a better husband thanks to his entrepreneurial endeavors. Rather than a lake house and lots of money, he enjoys smaller signs of fulfillment: “It’s all about people reaching out to me just with a quick message saying, hey, I’m following your story, you were such an inspiration, and I decided to do this or that.”
Although his business has not made him into a millionaire, Andrew loves what he does. He is happy to think his product brings folks together: “If I can please somebody with a tub of cheese dip, that's my answer.”
“The American Dream is real,” he concluded.“It’s possible. It’s all about your goals. What are your intentions? Is it just trying to get rich quick? Because that’s not the answer. This business is a long term thing, but I'm willing to put in the blood, sweat and tears, because I believe in it and it makes me happy.”
To listen to our full conversation with Andrew Arbogast, click here. And don’t miss any of our conversations with Memphis leaders! Subscribe to Just Bluffin’ wherever you get your podcasts, and learn more about the team behind the mic at buildacampfire.com.
