In the Kitchen With Brian Malarkey

The Top Chef and Food Network star discusses reinventing workplace dining with Herb & Ranch and the importance of coming together over a meal.

Chef Brian Malarkey has been a finalist on Top Chef, a judge on Guy’s Grocery Games, a mentor on The Taste and the co-owner of Puffer Malarkey Collective, which has a portfolio of four restaurants, including Herb & Ranch at UCI Research Park . We sat down with him to talk about the original concept behind Herb & Ranch, how it’s evolved to meet our current moment, and why sharing lunch with coworkers is more important now than ever.

What was the original concept for Herb & Ranch?

We took the look of a traditional food hall but are operating Herb & Ranch as a fast-casual restaurant. A chef-driven menu gives diners the option of five unique stations with the convenience of paying at a central register. The fast-casual approach accommodates any length of lunch break, and the changing food selection will help our guests avoid menu fatigue as their work week unfolds.

How has the Herb & Ranch experience evolved over the past two years?

The style of service has changed as the result of COVID, but the quality of the food by no means has changed. It's still very fast. It's very healthy. It's fun. It's not processed. It's really just local great food. It used to be individual stations, like a mini food hall, where you'd go up and tell the person who was preparing your food to order. Now we're cooking from behind the scenes with both pre-order and cash register ordering. We also have the luxury of being in one of the greatest venues ever, where people can go outside to a beautiful outdoor park area and have an incredible meal.

Why is sharing a meal so important?

The need to come together is a part of human nature, and facilitating that has always been the goal of our restaurants. Our restaurants are designed for communities to come together and share stories and ideas. After so much time spent away from the office in remote work, the opportunity to connect in person over a casual meal is more important than ever. The great service, food and ambiance are all to support creating an environment that facilitates this connection and community.

What is next for Herb & Ranch?

We are back open in full swing and extremely excited to have a campus full of customers on site. It's always more fun to be busy, and it challenges us to push even harder. Now, large parties are getting booked again, and it's a phenomenal facility full of options for meetings and special events. We love creating special experiences for our guests and executing our amazing catering menus. We intend to put ourselves on the map in Irvine as the go-to option for events in the area.

Learn more, view the menu, and place an order at herbandranch.com