Shari Gasper
Sam McDaniel: Fortune Favors finds perfect partnership with Overture
July 5, 2023
We are proud to work with Overture and to share in their passion and purpose to bring people joy.
“Try them, and you’ll like them,” said Fortune Favors CEO Sam McDaniel when talking about the company’s candied pecans.
It’s a confident statement, but the extraordinary pecans are truly hard to resist. If you haven’t experienced them yet, pick up a container from Overture’s concession stands during your next visit. Overture sells The Classic (sweet and salty), but you’ll likely want to try The Everything (sweet and savory) and The Spicy (chili-spiked), too.
The original product was created by accident when Madison-native Eric Rupert, who worked in the local restaurant industry for almost 40 years, inadvertently dropped some pecan halves into the wrong pot while hard at work in the kitchen. When he saw them again later, he stopped and looked more closely. They had a perfect, shiny glaze as though they had been intentionally and carefully conjured.
After tasting one, Rupert was surprised at how crunchy and delicious it was. He began making batches of the candied pecans and sharing them with family and friends. In all his legendary culinary career, he had never seen a food make people as happy as his candied pecans did.
Rupert took a leap of faith with co-founder Jessica Benish and established Fortune Favors (originally Nutkrack) in 2018, opening a neighborhood pecan shop on Atwood Avenue. Their goal was simple: to bring people joy through food, using candied pecans as the conduit.
McDaniel, who originally served as a marketing consultant, joined the company full-time in 2019 and took on the role of CEO in 2021.
In its early days, as Fortune Favors worked to get the word out about its pecans, the team identified commonalities with Overture Center and reached out about a partnership.
“Overture is a place where the community comes to experience joy through the arts, while Fortune Favors brings joy through food,” said McDaniel. “We are aligned in what we do and who we serve. It’s a great combination.”
Fortune Favors celebrated its fifth birthday in June. In addition to the three flavors of candied pecans, its flavorful offerings now include the Magic Bar, a candy bar manufactured by Mayana Chocolate in Spooner, Wis., filled with salted pecan caramel, vanilla bean nougat, crunchy Fortune Favors pecans and dark chocolate. Another addition is Eric’s Up North Mix, a delicious combination of dried Door County cherries, scoops of dark chocolate and loads of salty and sweet pecans.
“We originally gave the mix as holiday gifts to clients,” said McDaniel. “This past November, we sold it in retail stores for the first time, initially planning to only make 200 pounds. We sold 10 times that in six weeks.”
Fortune Favors’ products are sold at more than 70 retailers in Dane County and 500-plus locations around the country, including Metcalfe’s Markets locally and nearly 100 Whole Foods Market locations across the Midwest and East coast.
Fortune Favors is grateful for its partnership with Overture, which has helped the company connect with thousands of members of our community.
“So many people come to our shop and say they first tried our pecans at Overture,” said McDaniel.
The relationship between Overture and Fortune Favors has become multi-faceted over the years. In addition to working in the concessions area, Fortune Favors donates its pecans for donor gifts and other gift baskets. Plus, the two organizations are exploring co-branded gifts for upcoming events.
“We are proud to work with Overture and to share in their passion and purpose to bring people joy,” said McDaniel. “It would be hard to find a similar marketing partnership that is such a perfect fit.”
Likewise, Overture is pleased to support a locally owned small business. Overture’s Institutional Giving team works hard to identify such mutually beneficial relationships and partners with dozens of area businesses.
“When you partner with Overture Center, you take a starring role in supporting and elevating our community’s culture, economy and quality of life through the arts,” said Cayla Minear, Overture’s director of institutional giving. “There are countless ways for companies to make a difference at Overture.”
Thank you to Fortune Favors—and all our corporate partners—for your support of Overture!
