Local Kitchens Names Jay Gentile Head of Operations

Local Kitchens, a restaurant platform that combines multiple restaurants under one roof and offers guests the convenience to order across multiple menus, has appointed Jay Gentile as the new Head of Operations. In this role, Gentile will oversee kitchen operations with a particular focus on the optimization of supply chains and the launch of new locations.

Jay Gentile brings in over 28 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, most recently as the CEO and Co-President of Veggie Grill and its family of restaurant brands; Veggie Grill, Stand-up Burgers and Mas Veggies Taqueria. While at Veggie Grill, he helped expand the business into six states, generating over $60M in revenue. Prior to that, Gentile brought the European coffee concept, Caffè Nero, to the US market where he served as the Director of USA/Head of Country and was the Regional Vice President for Au Bon Pain. Gentile brings Local Kitchens his significant experience in growing existing concepts and establishing concepts across multiple markets. 

“I am very eager to jump into my new role as the Head of Operations at Local Kitchens,” said Jay Gentile. “After multiple conversations with Jon and Andrew as well as the Local Kitchens team, it was apparent that Local Kitchens was in a unique position to disrupt the fast casual market in a big way, and that immediately drew me to the brand. With their unique model, they are able to provide guests convenience and selection from multiple premium partner brands for dine in, pick-up, and delivery. I see major growth for Local Kitchens in the upcoming years, becoming a national brand that serves guests in various suburban and urban locations, as well as non-traditional markets such as transportation centers, universities, and hospitals. I am extremely happy to be a part of the Local Kitchens team, and I am looking forward to bringing this unique micro food hall model to more communities across the country!”

“Jay brings a depth of experience and knowledge to Local Kitchens and will ensure we deliver a consistent, high quality product as we accelerate the growth of our business,” says Jon Goldsmith, CEO and co-founder of Local Kitchens. “We’re confident that with Jay at the helm of operations we are well equipped to rapidly scale Local Kitchens across even more markets. I am personally quite excited to see how his leadership will enhance not only the service we provide to our guests, but how we support and serve our staff across every kitchen as well.” 

To learn more about Local Kitchens visit their website or download their mobile app and for information on careers and current openings jump to their careers page.