Rubén García
ThinkFoodGroup | Washington, D.C.
October 2019
Born and raised in Terrassa, Spain, Rubén García resolved to make cooking his life’s work when he was all of 15 years old. While studying at Spanish culinary school Joviat, in Manresa, Cataluña, García staged at many local restaurants, including Michelin-starred Jean Luc Figueras in Barcelona. García then met Albert and Ferran Adrià and spent five years at El Bulli, where a large part of his gastronomic perspective crystallized. But García loved to travel, so when he met El Bulli alum José Andrés, he seized the opportunity to follow him to the United States.
Joining ThinkFoodGroup in 2004, Garcia worked his way up to Research and Development Director. As Andrés’s second-in-command, Garcia crafts menus, oversees quality control, works special events and promotions, and provides leadership for all kitchens. As ThinkFoodGroup expanded to new markets, Andrés turned to García to spearhead openings in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Miami, and Las Vegas, earning García a StarChefs Rising Stars award in 2010.
He is passionate about instilling healthy eating habits in both his own children and children around the nation, and participates in the annual Kids Food Festival in New York City.
2019 StarChefs Chefs Congress Presenter
2010 StarChefs Washington D.C. Rising Stars Award Winner
