Sierra High School graduate Adrian Garcia grew up around food in Manteca. 

And now he’s making an undeniable mark on the culinary world. 

This fall Garcia will debut as the Executive Chef of Commons Club – the restaurant inside of the new Virgin Hotel in San Francisco’s SoMa neighborhood that will serve as the global brand’s second hotel property.  

After building an impressive resume as a chef at the award-winning Addison in San Diego, Garcia made the move to San Francisco in 2012 and began working his way through the Bay Area food scene with a stint at Benu, which received three Michelin stars – the highest rating that a restaurant can receive. He then moved on to Quince, which also earned three Michelin stars, where he served as the Chef De Cuisine. Both of the popular San Francisco eateries also earned four stars from the San Francisco Chronicle. 

Just before being announced as the new Executive Chef at Commons Club, Garcia was involved as a consultant for new restaurant Stonehill Matcha. 

“As Executive Chef at Commons Club San Francisco, Chef Adrian Garcia will use his experience from world-class restaurants to showcase a globally-inspired shared menu concept with the restaurant of this modern social club at the Virgin Hotels San Francisco,” read a release announcing his hiring. “His use of hyper-local California ingredients combined with a wide array of culinary techniques will culminate in a modern yet whimsical style of cooking which will make Commons Club a prime destination for both local Bay Area food loves and culinary-minded travelers a like, providing a new take on the modern social club.”

Garcia’s mother, Camille, was the proprietor of The Deli House on Center Street, and owned a catering business before that – helping to provide inspiration for her hospitality industry bound son.

Virgin Hotels is a lifestyle hospitality brand that will serve as another extension of Sir Richard Brandon’s global empire with a track record of innovation and “smart disruption,” and the San Francisco location aims to intermix “a passion for food and beverage with music and culture, fusing the local landscape to provide a vibrant and inclusive environment for travelers and local alike.”

The first Virgin hotel property opened in Chicago in 2016. 

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.