San Francisco — Local Kitchens, a category-defining restaurant brand known for its menu collaborations with award-winning chefs, has appointed Jay Gentile as its new chief executive officer. This leadership transition comes as its co-founders, Andrew Munday and Jon Goldsmith, step away from day-to-day operations, with Goldsmith continuing as chairman of the board.
Gentile brings a wealth of experience in scaling and evolving restaurant brands, most recently leading Veggie Grill and its family of concepts. With a deep background in operations and market expansion, he successfully introduced and grew Caffè Nero in the U.S. while driving strategic growth for industry leaders like Legal Sea Foods, Au Bon Pain and Morton’s of Chicago. Since joining Local Kitchens 2 years ago — most recently as president — Gentile has played a pivotal role in the company’s transformation, leading efforts to turn negative four-wall EBITDA positive, refine the in-store guest experience and evolve the brand’s menu strategy.
“Jay has been instrumental in shaping Local Kitchens into the thriving brand it is today,” says Goldsmith. “His leadership balances innovation with tradition, and he has the vision and operational expertise to establish Local Kitchens as a category-defining brand in the fast-casual space.”
As CEO, Gentile will focus on accelerating Local Kitchens’ evolution and next phase of growth with key priorities including:
• Launching the brand’s first location outside of Northern California with a flagship opening in Studio City, Los Angeles. This milestone marks the beginning of a broader expansion strategy, featuring an elevated dine-in experience, refreshed branding and a reimagined guest journey.
• Strengthening financial performance with a focus on increasing four-wall EBITDA, optimizing operations, and enhancing unit economics to support long-term growth.
• Further refining the brand’s identity and platform to craft a compelling, distinctive narrative in the fast-casual space. This includes establishing a more cohesive presence across in-store and digital touchpoints to deepen brand equity and foster a stronger emotional connection with guests.
Through collaborations with award-winning chefs and culinary influencers, Local Kitchens offers a menu of exclusive, regionally inspired dishes featuring bold flavors and high-quality ingredients — all in a dining experience that’s both convenient and affordable. Founded in 2020 by former DoorDash co-founders Jon Goldsmith and Andrew Munday, the brand was built on a mission to bring communities together through food. Since then, Local Kitchens has grown to 12 locations across the Bay Area, with plans to expand into Southern California this June.
SOURCE: Local Kitchens