Now Schmear This Spreads Success

Evan Summers, CEO and creator of the award-winning Now Schmear This, is schmearing his way to success. His inventive compounds of butter and flavored cream cheese are catapulting the schmear category, defining it as a delicacy. Summers is dedicated to creating exceptional and unusual flavors in the world of “shmearing,” which refers to any spreadable condiment (mustard, hummus, mayo, etc.) and is most often identified as cream cheese on a bagel.

Summer’s “Schmear” business concept officially launched at the Marietta Square Farmer’s Market in February 2024. He shared the origin of his idea and said, “Now Schmear This originated during a personal health journey where my wife and I were taking steps to better control the ingredients in our food. We started developing and storing flavored butter for use in our cooking. In 2023, I awoke in the middle of the night with one pressing flavor in mind: Honey Garlic Jalapeno. In that moment, the entire business model, and our signature (bestselling) flavor was born. And now, flavors include Honey Garlic Jalapeno, Pina Colada, Bruschetta, Chive & Onion, Veggie, Honey Walnut, Herb, plus a dairy-free butter option, too.”

Evan was born in The Bronx, N.Y., and, after his parents decided not to raise children in New York, moved to what he likes to call “New York South” (Miami). He added, “One of my friends showed me information about the Georgia Tech Food & Beverage Accelerator program. I was intrigued by having access to professional mentorship and was accepted into the inaugural launch of their incubator program (2025). It was an industry in which I had no previous experience. This program, designed to support and develop businesses in the food and beverage space, has been more beneficial in ways I could never have considered. Mentorship, networking, business contacts, accountability, connections with decisionmakers, and tours of local facilities are just some of the reasons I am so passionate about being included in the program. Our participation (and winning) the Flavor of Georgia contest was a direct result of being a part of this program.”

According to Aubrey Lenyard, who serves as the director of Georgia Tech’s Food and Beverage Accelerator, “Our mission is to help Georgia food, beverage, FoodTech and AGTech founders launch, grow, and scale.”

He recognized that Summers, “the Schmear guy,” had a winning product because no one else in Georgia is producing anything similar, making his brand stand out through highly unique and innovative flavor profiles. Lenyard added, “Our Georgia Tech Food and Beverage Accelerator (GT.FBA) is open to any Georgia-based entrepreneur looking to launch, grow, or scale a food, beverage, FoodTech, or AgTech business, welcoming consumer-packaged goods founders of all ages and stages (excluding alcohol and CBD products). We are actively working to help make Atlanta’s own ‘Schmear Guy’ a household name.”

Summers is grateful for Lenyard, Georgia Tech, and the outstanding efforts of the program, crediting it as a game changer. As he spread his products’ awareness, he has become a schmear expert at an accelerated pace and commented, “Historically, schmear has its roots in industrial Germany where workers would ‘schmear’ grease on machinery to keep it running. The word made its way to the USA during the European migration at the start of the 20th century where it became synonymous with bagels. Fun fact: The reason bagels in New York are served with a massive schmear of cream cheese dates to when Scandinavians brought their salted fish across the ocean (think Lox). The fish was so salty it couldn’t be eaten alone. The cream cheese minimized the fish’s overwhelmingly salty nature.”

Now Shmear This has rounded up many awards, including Best of Georgia 2025 (Winner- Bagel category), UGA Flavor of Georgia 2025 (Runner-up, Dairy category – Honey Garlic Jalapeno cream cheese) and UGA Flavor of Georgia 2026 (Winner, Dairy category – Honey Peach Pecan cream cheese).

For more information, visit www.MySchmear.com, and to learn more about Georgia Tech’s program go to gtfba.innovate.gatech.edu/