Chef David Kinch is tying up loose ends at his three Michelin-starred restaurant, Manresa, before leaving at the end of the year.
Kinch made the announcement in a lengthy Instagram post on Monday, indicating that his final day at the Los Gatos restaurant is December 31. Kinch’s departure was first reported by Bloomberg.
“For the past 20 years, Manresa has essentially been my entire life,” Kinch wrote on Instagram. “And, like all passion projects, it has proven to be more difficult and rewarding than I could have imagined.”
According to an Instagram post shared by the restaurant, partner Jenny Yun is expected to take over the reins on January 1, 2023, in Kinch’s absence. Furthermore, the post implied that Kinch might continue to work with Manresa in some capacity. SFGATE reached out for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
According to Bloomberg, the chef-owner is concerned about the future of fine dining restaurants. According to Bloomberg, Kinch believes fine dining establishments are moving toward high-end counter restaurants with tasting menus starting at $450 per person. (At the moment, Manresa charges $365 per person for a tasting menu.) In addition to a price increase, Kinch predicts that fine dining restaurants will become more exclusive.
“As the wage gap widens, all of the democratisation that’s occurred in the last 20 years,” Kinch told Bloomberg.
Manresa opened in Los Gatos in 2002, earning two Michelin stars by 2007, and a third star in 2016. Along the way, Kinch was named GQ Magazine’s Chef of the Year in 2011 and the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef, Pacific in 2010.
Kinch stated on Instagram that he intends to devote more time to his other Bay Area businesses, Manresa Bread bakery and The Bywater restaurant, as well as his Santa Cruz County restaurant, Mentone, in 2023. Furthermore, he wishes to devote more time to “new pursuits and revisit long-neglected passions.”