Rich Reimbolt
formerly of Better Half Coffee & Cocktails | Austin
NOVEMBER 2023
Rich Reimbolt grew up in Boise, Idaho, and ever since he got a job as a prep cook in tenth grade, all he wanted to do was work in kitchens. He graduated high school early, and enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. After graduating, Reimbolt bounced around New York and joined Momofuku Noodle Bar before relocating to Austin in 2012. He began working at Uchiko, where he stayed for the next year and a half. In 2013, Reimbolt was offered the opportunity to help open French-American restaurant Jeffrey’s, and accepted a sous chef position, eventually working his way up to chef de cuisine.
After his time in fine dining, Reimbolt was looking to transition to something more casual, and moved to Josephine House, a small farm-to-table spot, as chef de cuisine. In 2017, he was approached by the Better Half team, and he came on as a partner. Reimbolt helped open Better Half Coffee & Cocktails in 2018, opening their brewery, Hold Out Brewing, on the same property two years later. Starting off with breakfast sandwiches and coffees, Reimbolt evolved the menu to include more composed, but still accessible dishes, like his burrata with Texas pecan muhammara, strawberry, roasted piquillo peppers, pomegranate molasses, and pickled okra, served with a housemade garlic confit-rosemary focaccia.
