Jennifer Rossi
Born and raised in Vancouver, BC, Jennifer received an early education in the hospitality industry by working her way up in her grandfather’s restaurant and food-services company with roles such as dishwasher, line cook, host, server, bartender and manager. Then, with a brief stint in banking, she decided hospitality was her passion and returned to it in her early 20s and hasn’t looked back since. She added the title of ownership to her resume when she co-founded Kitchen Table Group and opened the comfort-food-and-cocktail hotspot Pourhouse in Vancouver’s historic Gastown district in 2009.
Two years later, Kitchen Table bolstered its portfolio by setting up shop across town on Main Street with the Northern Italian-focused Pizzeria Farina and launched casual Italian eatery Ask For Luigi in 2013, which went on to win Restaurant of the Year, Best New Restaurant, Best Casual and Best Italian at the 2015 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards. In 2017, the group opened Italian caffé-by-day, ristorante-by-night Di Beppe, which has quickly become one of the city’s most beloved eateries. Since then, Kitchen Table has expanded with multiple restaurants and cafes, with more on the horizon.
Jennifer is a busy hockey mom to her two boys; spending her free time getting her hands dirty in her garden or putting her feet up with a negroni in hand; remaining centred on hospitality in both her home and at work. And, no matter how significant the strides she continues to make with Kitchen Table, Jennifer stays true to the core principles instilled in her during her formative days in the industry. Putting personal and professional integrity first, Jennifer prides herself on treating colleagues and coworkers as you would family and friends, and fully embracing the notion that the fondest memories are made at the kitchen table.