Rustic Canyon CEO Brian Jacobs on Enduring Values and L.A. Community
Resy has grown a lot in the past 10 years, and we’re celebrating by shining a light on some of the restaurateurs who grew alongside us in our earliest days. In this special series 10 Years of Resy Restaurants, six star players from across the U.S. shared what they’ve learned over the years, how their restaurants have evolved, and much more.
Name and Role: Brian Jacobs, CEO, Rustic Canyon Family
Restaurant: Rustic Canyon
Year Joined Resy: 2017
Since Rustic Canyon opened nearly two decades ago as a pop-up series in founder Josh Loeb’s apartment, it received a Michelin star and expanded into a full restaurant group with seven other concepts, including a pizza parlor, an ice cream shop, and a Southeast Asian brasserie. Despite these changes, the ethos of the Rustic Canyon Family remains the same.
We spoke with CEO Brian Jacobs about his team’s commitment to slow food, the challenges and trends of the past 10 years, and what makes this group of restaurants so special.
[Editor’s Note: The following has been edited for clarity and length.]
Resy: What are the defining food trends or moments that have stood out to you over the last decade, especially on a local level?
Brian Jacobs: Consumers are way more health-conscious and aware of what they are putting in their bodies than they’ve ever been, so more people are turning to local farmers for their food. Being so close to the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market, it was always part of the Rustic Canyon family DNA to have that as a standard for our operations. Building relationships with and using the products of the farmers, ranchers, and fishers that we know is something that Josh Loeb and Zoe Nathan have imprinted on all our businesses. Over the last decade, it has been great to see that standard become a practice for so many other businesses around us as well.
Could you tell me more about the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market, and what it represents to Rustic Canyon?
When the Rustic Canyon restaurant started, it was Josh Loeb throwing dinner parties at his home. He became friends with the farmers at the market, and his presence there sort of became a mainstay. And as much as it is a place to get great produce, it’s also a meeting place for chefs. I think fostering that community, which sort of happens organically at a place like the farmers’ market, and then bringing it back into your restaurants is really what impacts the food that you serve.
As an East Coast person coming to the West Coast, I’ve often been told of how great the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market is. Seeing it for myself and seeing the community of people who come together to share ideas and talk about operational struggles and everything else they’re dealing with is really nice.
L.A. really loves good food, and you can really sense that from the community. It ranges from every taco stand and late-night hot dog vendor through restaurants of every caliber. You have an omakase sushi menu in a strip mall that will blow your mind. You can go to the Valley and have the best Thai food you’ve ever had. You can come to the westside of L.A. and have Ashkenazi bistro food at Birdie G’s and then go get classic French cuisine.
Honestly, I think it’s because of the traffic that Angelenos really love their food, because it’s such a destination to get there. You have to think about traffic and parking and valet. Because of that, whether it’s a taco cart or a Michelin-starred restaurant, you’re really excited to be there and present in that moment.
What has been the biggest change over the past 10 years?
The tech that’s involved in restaurants has changed *substantially* over the last ten years. The reservation platforms, delivery platforms, loyalty apps, CRM, and social media platforms have all changed the way restaurants interact with their guests.
Resy was the first to feel like they were partnered with the hospitality industry in getting guests the best experience possible.
Rustic Canyon joined Resy since 2017. Why have you stuck with Resy over the years?
I believe Resy cares not only for the success of their own brand, but also the success of the community of restaurants. Resy was the first to feel like they were partnered with the hospitality industry in getting guests the best experience possible. I’ve always valued the relationships I’ve had with those who work for Resy and their commitment to providing us the best service.
Collaboration seems to be very central to how Rustic Canyon has operated for the past 18 years. What do those collaborations involve?
I’ve really enjoyed the collaborations that we’ve seen between restaurants and hospitality groups like Esters, Birdie G’s, and Sweet Rose Creamery—it’s nice to see others in the community supporting each other by sharing their audience with other teams.
Our big one involves Resy as our main sponsor—Eight Nights at Birdie G’s, and this will be the third year we’ve done this series. One of the reasons I’m really grateful to partners like Resy is that these types of community events and collaborations are not only good for the guests because it’s something fun and people want to go out and try, but they’re also really exciting for our teams. It’s really exciting for the managers to work with these other management teams. And it’s really exciting to hear from these chefs what their ethos is and what their beliefs are. We had Sean Brock, a culinary icon, here on the first of the eight nights last year, and to hear him speak so passionately about Appalachia and the food that you believe in is really inspiring.
I think the more people that cook together and share ideas together and speak about how they’re going to make it in this business together, the more successful we’ll all be.
What’s still the same for Rustic Canyon from when it first started?
Our guiding principles have stayed the same. They have always served as a north star to remind us of the direction we need to travel. These three things have been at the core of our decision-making process from the very beginning:
- Serve delicious, thoughtful food using the best local ingredients.
- Create an environment for guests where they feel like they are being taken into our home and cared for.
- Take care of ourselves and each other so we can feel proud about the work that we do.
*Opinions and views in articles shared on Resy OS are presented for the purpose of discussion and commentary on topics of interest in the restaurant industry; they should not be viewed as substitutes for advice given by professionally engaged business consultants and advisors.
