Restaurant Leadership Council
Grubhub’s Restaurant Leadership Council (RLC) is a group of restaurant owners and operators who regularly meet with Grubhub to help us whip up new ideas on how to best serve our restaurants. This partnership helps our team to gain actionable insights, providing us with an opportunity to learn from the restaurant community. We can better serve restaurant owners through the RLC by building strong relationships and delivering actionable solutions that make a difference.
The RLC was an amazing opportunity to work in concert with various levels and departments at Grubhub. It was a wonderful way to work in concert with the people who implemented change to speak about what is done well, opportunities to improve, bring up issues, and see real-time resolution. The best part is that everyone was very pleasant, making for a collaborative and enjoyable discussion. Overall, it was an invaluable experience, and I would love to help again!”
What are the goals of the Restaurant Leadership Council?
Our focus is on restaurant owners and their success. We use the RLC to better understand and serve the industry, listening and learning from professionals who eat, sleep, and breathe restaurant management. These interactive sessions give restaurant leaders a chance to:
Strengthen relationships
By regularly meeting with council members, our team can get to know who we serve on a more personal level. This builds our community and boosts our relationships with restaurant owners.
Provide industry insights
Our interactive sessions enable Grubhub to include restaurateurs’ perspectives on key industry topics. Then, we can pivot our efforts on what’s most important to them.
Share product feedback
During meetings, restaurant owners can provide detailed feedback so Grubhub can bring products and services to the table that align with their needs.
Sharing with others means learning for yourself. Participating as a Grubhub 2023 RLC member helped us improve our operation, while we also shared our years of experience with other operators and GH, so that they could improve as well. Truly, a win-win-win! Janis Deady”
Meet this year’s council
Tony Mekonen
Italian Kitchen | Washington, DC
Italian Kitchen is a family-owned restaurant with locations in the heart of Washington, DC’s historic U Street Corridor and in Silver Spring, Maryland. For the past 14 years, we’ve been proud to serve high-quality Italian dishes that reflect our commitment to both quality and community. Over the years, we’ve been recognized not only for our outstanding food but also for our community outreach. We’ve donated over 15,000 slices of pizza and fed more than 7,000 people through partnerships with organizations like Children’s Hospital, the Red Cross, and the National Guard, to name a few. Additionally, we were honored to win the Seamless Craved Award in the past, along with other accolades. We’re excited to continue expanding our impact and growing our presence, both locally and within the broader restaurant community.
Sergio Catinkagan
Antalia NYC | New York, NY
My journey in the restaurant industry began in Queens, where I started as a flyer distributor promoting a local restaurant. When a busboy called out sick, I was asked to step in—and never returned to handing out flyers again. In 2003, I poured my first glass of water for a customer, and that moment is when I truly fell in love with the restaurant business. From there, I worked my way up through various roles, eventually becoming a manager in different types of restaurants. This experience eventually led to a life-changing opportunity: to open my own restaurant. Partnering with a chef who also started from humble beginnings as a kitchen helper, we opened AnTalia located in Midtown in 2011 and our second location called Lokal83 located on the upper west side. 83rd and Columbus ave in the year 2017.. Over the years, we've built a loyal following, with customers appreciating the fact that the owner is in the kitchen ensuring top-notch food quality, while the owner/manager provides the exceptional hospitality that embodies Turkish culture.
Taylor Mason
Taylor’s Tacos | Chicago, IL
Taylor's Tacos specializes in authentic street style tacos with a whole lot of Chicago soul. It is the only woman owned, black owned, and lesbian owned taco shop in the US. While the retail shop is only open to the public on Taco Tuesdays and Fridays, they hold the crown of the best shrimp taco in Chicago from Good Morning America. Taylor's Tacos believes in building communiTAY one taco at a time, and they have served a half million tacos to date!
Vinny Gallagher
Pizzata Pizzeria | Philadelphia, PA
Since 2020, Pizzata has been dedicated to crafting naturally leavened pizza in Philadelphia. Our unique dough, which undergoes an extended, slow fermentation, not only makes it easier to digest but also enhances the full flavor and aroma of our baked goods. This process also improves mineral absorption and lowers the glycemic index. Our journey began as a small neighborhood takeout pizzeria in Philadelphia. After a 2-year venture in Florida, we expanded in 2024 by opening a second location in Philly—a 100-seat Italian restaurant with two floors, a sidewalk café and a full bar. We are currently building a production facility and commercial kitchen to support future growth. I am a self-taught baker, pizzapreneur, and proud father of two. A Villanova University Business graduate, I am always on the lookout for new countries to add to my passport's collection of immigration stamps. My love for pizza began in New York, deepened with my fascination for sourdough in San Francisco, and solidified upon returning to my hometown after 20 years away. In 2019, I won first place in an international pizza competition in Atlantic City, where I serendipitously met my business partner while we were competing in different categories.
Paolo Fontana
Sub-Ology | Cranford, NJ
I started my journey as an independent equity trader, diving headfirst into the fast-paced world of trading and the stock market—my first love. Over time, I grew into a role as a Regional Director in the financial services sector, gaining experience in Equity Research, Options, Asset Management, Securities, and Sales Management. Along the way, I earned my Master of Science in Finance from St. John’s University’s Peter J. Tobin College of Business. In 2015, I stumbled upon a new adventure—a local sub shop in an amazing small-town downtown Cranford, NJ was up for sale. I loved the name and couldn’t resist the challenge of turning it around. What started as a passion project has evolved into something much bigger.This year, we completed the process to begin franchising our location, and we even launched a new salad line called Salad-Ology! The goal is to offer both businesses under one roof and keep building from there. It’s been a wild ride, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. One notable achievement is being chosen by award-winning director Steven Soderbergh to cater the premiere of his movie Presence in Cranford, NJ. He loved our variety of sandwiches and trusted us to deliver for such a special event. It was an incredible honor to be part of this memorable occasion!
Davin Wages
Malai Kitchen | Dallas, TX
Davin grew up in New England and later graduated with a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Johnson & Wales University. He brings a fresh perspective to his work, supported by years of experience in food and beverage management within the amusement park industry. Davin is passionate about technology and enjoys collaborating with his team to ensure a fantastic experience for customers. He joined the team at Malai Kitchen in 2013. Malai Kitchen, which originally opened in 2011, now has four locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The restaurant offers a unique take on Southeast Asian cuisine and is committed to sourcing high-quality ingredients. They prepare as much as possible from scratch, including brewing their own beer on-site.
Bryan Tublin
Kitava | San Francisco, CA
Bryan is the CEO and Co-Founder of Kitava, a health-conscious fast-casual restaurant based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He left a successful career in tech product management after overcoming chronic health issues motivated him to make nourishing real food more accessible. Bryan also serves on the Board of Directors for the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, and is a founding restaurant partner of the Oakland Restaurant Collective. He holds a BBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Wesley Li
Bowls of Rice | Chicago, IL
My background is in math and economics, and I originally planned to build a career in finance. However, in 2021, my partners saw the growth and financial potential of ghost kitchens and I took a leap into the restaurant industry—despite having no prior culinary experience—and launched a single delivery-only concept. That one idea has since grown into multiple brands. By streamlining our operations and focusing on continuous improvement, we’ve adapted and scaled quickly—all while staying true to our commitment to great food and customer experience.
Jay Shin
Fibber's Sports Bar & Grille | Philadelphia, PA
I spent 25+ years as a corporate IT executive. A family business opportunity arose because of COVID lockdowns that transformed the business through 3rd party deliver services from a sit-down restaurant bar. Have been running the business since 2020 and taken the business from 15% delivery app sales to 80%. Made top 10 list of best wings on the Infatuation.com Philadelphia list and Top 20 on multiple delivery services for single store sales in the country.
Participating in the Grubhub RLC as a restaurant owner has been invaluable. It provides a platform to share feedback, contribute insights and collaborate with Grubhub to enhance the platform’s performance. This mutual exchange strengthens our partnership with Grubhub and empowers us to make informed decisions that improve our business operations.”
Ready to make your voice heard?
Join the Restaurant Leadership Council today.
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