Vern Johnson

Chef and culinary operator with 18+ years of professional experience spanning upscale hospitality, artisan pizza and Italian cuisine, high-volume restaurant operations, catering, customized meals, and independent business ownership. Hands-on leader with experience at Soho House’s Little Beach House Malibu, Cecconi’s West Hollywood, Pitfire Pizza, and as Founder/Chef-Owner of R.A.R.E Eats LLC. Skilled in menu development, scratch cooking, sourcing, purchasing, food-cost control, dietary adaptation, private dining, events, and end-to-end kitchen management.

Founder / Chef-Owner - R.A.R.E Eats LLC - Los Angeles, CA

(2026)

• Lead the full culinary operation: menu creation, recipe testing, prep, production, service, purchasing, inventory, pricing inputs, sanitation, and quality control.
• Produce scratch-made pizza, pasta, breakfast, sandwiches, Latin-inspired dishes, desserts, beverages, and rotating specials while adapting the menu to neighborhood demand.
• Plan and execute catering, large-format orders, recurring meal programs, and customized client meals, including dietary accommodations and off-site delivery/service.
• Manage food cost, portions, vendors, purchasing, waste reduction, packaging, and daily operational decisions as an owner-operator.

Sous Chef / Pizza Chef - Little Beach House Malibu — Soho House - Malibu, CA

• Supported upscale, high-volume culinary service in a members-club environment with a strong focus on consistency, presentation, timing, and guest experience.
• Executed artisan pizza and Italian/California-inspired food while contributing to prep, station organization, production standards, and kitchen leadership.

Sous Chef / Pizza Chef - Cecconi’s West Hollywood - West Hollywood, CA

• Worked within a high-profile Italian restaurant operation, producing quality-driven food in a demanding service environment.
• Applied strong pizza, dough, Italian-cooking, mise en place, organization, and service-execution skills while supporting kitchen standards and team performance.

Culinary Professional / Pizza Specialist - Pitfire Pizza & Additional Los Angeles Kitchens - Los Angeles, CA

• Built extensive hands-on experience in artisan pizza, dough production, wood-fired cooking, scratch preparation, line execution, and high-volume restaurant service.
• Developed broad proficiency across proteins, seafood, vegetables, sauces, breads, pasta, desserts, and seasonal menu preparation.