Chris Smith has been with The Villages since soon after arriving to Florida with his family from Louisville, Kentucky. He started his work career at the age of 15 in restaurants. Moving into management for the family pizza business and then into store management for Subway at the age of 18. He was destined to work with people.

After graduating from DuPont Manual High School in Louisville, he did pursue a degree in Industrial Engineering from The University of Louisville. Before completing his degree, he realized his love for food and his drive to make people happy, one customer at a time. Chris decided to continue working within an industry that had become his passion. After determining the direction that his life would take, he made it his mission to have his own restaurant. Spending over three years with a variety of casual dining establishments, he settled on one to make his home. Outback Steakhouse was a wonderful opportunity that truly cared about their employees, partners, and customers like no other in the industry. Chris spent over 17 years with Outback, with the final 10 spent as a partner, with a store in Indianapolis, IN and one in Louisville, KY.

After a wonderful experience in the hospitality industry he decided that he had come to a crossroads and it was very important to him to dedicate more time to his family, and made the move to real estate. Taking a leap of faith he moved from the familiarity of home in Kentucky to the state of Florida. When they were deciding where to land, a visit to a longtime friend in The Villages proved to be the answer. In looking for a future homestead Chris wanted a place where he felt the values of the community matched his own. He felt that the Villages was an environment where his children would be safe. After a long look at the Villages Charter School, and realizing the amount of caring individuals, in the school, and around the community it became apparent that this was home.

Like so many Villagers that have made this their home, it took that leap of faith, and an amazing community that rallys around their neighbors, to help him realize what had been missing in his life. With his children excelling in school, wonderful customers that are now friends, and a future that far exceeds his wildest dreams, Chris knows that his plan is to be here forever.

With each new Villager that Chris has the pleasure of assisting his move to The Villages makes more and more sense. It is when someone thanks you for sharing yourself and your community with them, that everything in life is just right. Seeing the happiness at the square each night, the enjoyment that family’s get when they visit, and the overwhelming support that everyone gives to the Villages Charter Schools sports and activities, that makes it easy to understand why this is America’s Friendliest Hometown.