Brian Nicholas

Director of Operations - Orchard City Kitchen & Be.Steak.A

Brian Nicholas fell in love with restaurants at a very young age. Eventually he would turn that love into his first job in hospitality—busboy for the historic Slocum House—an intimate, 100-seat restaurant tucked away in the quaint, Northern California town of Fair oaks.

In 2002 Mr Nicholas moved to the Bay Area to finish his degree at San Jose State University. There he would discover and join the team at A.P. Stump’s where he had the opportunity to work with acclaimed Bay Area chef, Jim Stump and Master Sommelier, Randy Bertao. Under their guidance Mr Nicholas flourished and was ultimately named Wine Director, overseeing the historic cellar and award-winning wine list featuring first growth Bordeaux, Grand Cru Burgundy and countless cult cabernet sauvignon.

After stops at Village California Bistro & Wine Bar and Bradly Ogden’s Parcel 104, Mr Nicholas partnered with his original mentor, Jim Stump, to form Northwest Restaurant Group, opening The Table and Forthright Oyster Bar & Kitchen within the span of several years. Those restaurants would go on to become benchmarks for accessible, chef-driven experiences in Silicon Valley while setting a standard for genuine hospitality in a bustling, casual fine dining environment.

After a decade with Northwest Restaurant Group, Mr Nicholas was honored with an invitation to join Michelin-starred chef, Jeffrey Stout, to run Orchard City Kitchen and his new luxury steakhouse, Be.Stéak.Ă. As Director of Operations, Mr Nicholas oversees the daily operations of each restaurant while working closely with the management teams to achieve financial and operational goals. He is a champion of complete hospitality and believes that by caring for your team, they can care for the guest.

“When a guest walks in our doors we want them to feel as if we have invited them into our home. We have an obligation to care for them as if they are family while delivering a superior product that they can’t find anywhere else.”

Mr Nicholas is also proud to hold the title of Advanced Sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers—a title he earned with the mentorship of Reggie Narito and Randy Bertao. He now eagerly anticipates his opportunity to sit for the grueling Master Sommelier exam.