About The Team
Led by Chef Kyle Young, our team shares a serious love of locally sourced food.
Chef Kyle Young
When I was growing up, I dreamed of enlisting in the Marines. When it came time for me to enlist, our family had a few changes in plans, so my enlisting had to be delayed. In the meantime, I got a job working in a restaurant. I started working as a dish washer and worked my way through the ranks to prep cook and line cook. By then I was hooked! I loved working in the restaurant and decided that’s the career I wanted for my life’s work.
That’s surprising because I remember taking a cooking class in school. The teacher talked to me after class one day and told me that she didn’t think I was taking her class very seriously. I told her not to be concerned because this would be the only cooking class I would ever need. I had no interest in cooking and I was sure that’s the way I would always feel about cooking!
I was wrong.
I learned cooking through experience not in a classroom. And I formed some very deep feelings from the excellent chefs I have had the pleasure of working with. One example that I bring with me yet today is that I only work in restaurants that have a garden. I get inspiration from the garden.
Many people use the phrase “from garden to table.” I take that phrase one step further! I visit the garden each day and identify the vegetables that are at peak freshness! I pick them, prepare them, and add them to the daily menu on the blackboard to offer them to my guests all in the same the day. One of my signature dishes was created from a walk in the garden. I passed a fava plant and saw a snail on one of its leaves. That soon became known as “Escargot with fava bean pesto.”
Another of my strong beliefs is to reduce waste as much as I can. I do that by using as much of the whole plant as I can. I recently offered fresh grape juice popsicles for the children. They were tasty and very well received. After squeezing the juice out of the grapes, I dehydrated the pulp and skin of the grapes and created fresh grape powdered sugar to sprinkle on pancakes for a creative new treat!
I think The Cafe at The Inn is the perfect fit for me. I have the best sources for fresh, seasonal food, a beautiful, fully equipped kitchen, and a talented staff dedicated to welcoming our guests. They arrive as guests, enjoy our hospitality and become cherished members of our neighborhood community.
The Team
Front of House Manager
Sarah Bell
Meet Front of House Hospitality Manager Sarah. Sarah always has a smile and a friendly word to greet you, and she makes everyone feel welcome.
Surprisingly, Sarah is relatively new to the Hospitality industry. Sometime in 2022, she visited Provisions in Vallejo to have a chicken sandwich in honor of her dad, and ended up with a job! Unsure of herself as a server, Sarah started as a cashier, but was quickly promoted to supervisor and then Front of House Manager. She was a natural, and she loved it.
After a year or so at Provisions, Sarah decided to move on, following Chef Kyle to The Cafe at The Inn. It was a perfect match. Sarah loves talking to people, learning about the industry, and serving good food to people. Sarah puts a lot of time and effort into her job, and is happy to wake up every day, knowing she is coming to work at The Cafe. When asked about her favorite part of the job, she said she loves the staff, the gardens, working in a historical building, and especially greeting all the guests. She works hard to learn everyone’s name, and often remembers their coffee order as well. Guests greet her warmly and can tell how much she cares about each and every one of them. She particularly enjoys meeting interesting people, and lists among her most notable guests a founder of the Black Panther Party and her favorite actor from Nickelodeon show "All That".
If it’s your first time visiting The Cafe, you’ll know Sarah right away - she’s the one perpetually smiling, the one who sings “Corner!” as she heads to the kitchen. Sarah loves being here, and we are so grateful she is part of our team. “I just love to make people happy”, she says, and she certainly does!
Dishwasher
Anthony
I have over 30 years’ experience working in restaurants and I have done it all – waiter, busser, dish washer – whatever needed to be done, I would do it.
So far this is my favorite place to work. I am here for one reason: Chef Kyle. I worked with him before. He’s the best. I learned the most from him over the years. He has such energy and passion for his work. He is always striving to do it right.
He talked to me first about coming with him to the Inn. I came in for the interview, and knew right away that this is a good place to be. I immediately knew that this was where I wanted to work. Everyone is so friendly. Everyone is so nice.
Server
Erika
I am a multimedia artist born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, with mediums varying from acrylic, oil, watercolor, and pastel. I fell in love with art at 11 years old and began painting under renowned realism artist, Guadalupe De La Torre. A large portion of my work is inspired by the beautiful Arizona deserts in which I grew up, something that I love to bring with me everywhere I go. I’m currently exploring my individual creativity outside the bounds of my traditional style to create art that is unique to me and who I am. My works have been featured in miscellaneous art tours, the Tucson Festival of Books, U.S. Capitol Building, Oregon Fringe Festival, etc. My true passion is to connect with you and my community through my work. I am a server here at the Cafe at the Inn; please find me and say hello!
More team bios coming soon.