Our Team

CEO/FOUNDER - LUKE OPPENHEIM

As the youngest son of Tom & Kate Chappell, founders of Tom's of Maine, building a values based business runs deep for Luke. He believes in the power of building community by connecting customers with a network of hard-working and responsible food makers to bring the spirit of discovery, creativity, and joy into their kitchens. From line cook, to driver, to barista, to cashier, to controller Luke has persevered through a pivotal time for grocery since founding the company in 2010. With his team he is pioneering a vision for the future of grocery. Outside of work Luke enjoys time with his wife Jaymie and newborn son, Charlie.

SOUS CHEF - SAM ADAMS

Sam Adams, a Bay Area born and raised native, started cooking in his family owned restaurant of 40 years at the young age of 11. With his love of food and passion for the artistry of baking, he would soon seek out the best of both worlds with the goal of becoming a talented chef with unlimited abilities. After graduating from The California Culinary Academy in 2003, he continued to hone his culinary craft throughout the city of San Francisco, the Bay Area and Pennsylvania by working for restaurants like Copenhagen Bakery, Chris's Restaurant and Fine Catering, Blissful Kitchen, Lilah Belle's and Bakesale Betty's - to name a few. His passion for healthy, bold and “flavor bursting” meals is inspired by his love and dedication for fitness and nutrition. His motto “when you put good in, it will show” is his driving force to create locally farmed and sustainably harvested dishes that are not only delicious, but also nourish the mind, body and soul. Sam is eager to share his favorite dishes and excited to work with the amazing chef team at Luke's Local.

NICOLETTE MANESCALCHI - EXECUTIVE CHEF

Nicolette Manescalchi was born in San Diego, CA. With Italian and French heritage, cooking was always at the center of the household. As a child, Nicolette often helped with tasks such as peeling garlic, rolling meatballs and scooping cookie dough. As she got older, her love for cooking blossomed. While attending the University of Minnesota, she found herself rushing through homework to get to the cooking projects she wanted to share with family and friends. After graduating college, she attended the Art Institutes International Minnesota, where she earned her culinary degree as well as her Level 2 Sommelier Certificate from the International Sommelier Guild. She worked her way up to Executive Sous Chef in the San Francisco location and then opened the new Oakland location. After 5 years with A16, Nicolette broadened her horizons and opened Le Marais Bistro. Missing the cuisine of Southern Italy, she returned to A16 a year later and became the Executive Chef of both A16 restaurants and the catering department. Nicolette started at Luke's Local in January 2022 as Executive Chef and resides in San Francisco with her husband Nick, and their two sons.

MARKETING & CONTENT LEAD - EMILY LUBOMIRSKY

A daughter of Ukrainian-Jewish immigrants, Emily knew from a very early age that the most interesting place to be in any house is the kitchen. After moving up to the Bay Area and working at high-end grocery retail through college, she realized she wanted to pursue working in the food world full time. Emily joined Luke's as a delivery driver. Since then, she's taken on the roles of Customer Experience Associate, Customer Experience Manager, and - most recently - Marketing & Content Lead. On the weekends, Emily enjoys going on day trips around the Bay Area, cooking with her friends and family, and hanging out with her baby nephews.

COMMISSARY OPERATIONS MANAGER - DUSTIN VAUGHT

Dustin grew up in the swamps and the coastal plains of Georgia, which exposed him early on to BBQ and seafood. He has spent the better part of the last decade working in and around restaurants. After college, he decided to dedicate himself full time to the craft and remains excited to always be learning more about the culinary arts. He's a newlywed and a recent transplant to the Bay Area. His wife accepted a job as a Professor and finally dragged him out of the swamp for good. Dustin joined Luke's as a delivery driver, but has gone on to hold many positions, including Barista, Deli Supervisor, Deli Manager, Butcher, Kitchen Supervisor, and - currently - Commissary Operations Manager.

CONTROLLER & HR MANAGER - SCOTT STERN

Scott, raised in Southern Florida and a University of Florida alum, found himself settling in the Bay Area after he and his girlfriend drove across the country from coast to coast. Scott worked for Amazon and the Real Food Company before joining Luke's Local as a Controller. Working for a grocery company, it's no surprise that Scott his time outside of work eating at places all around the Bay. He's also a handy guy interested in technology: specifically buying, fixing, and selling scooters and other electronics.

CENTRAL PRODUCE BUYER - TROY DELANEY

Troy has dedicated nearly the past two decades (his entire working career!) to the organic & local produce industry. He proudly serves the community of Cole Valley, 10 years on and counting, having previously managed the produce department at legacy business Real Food Co., before bringing his wealth of knowledge and experience to Luke's Local. Troy joined Luke's Local as our Produce Buyer; when we opened our second location in Cow Hollow, Troy stepped up to take on the role of Central Produce Buyer, managing the entire Produce program for Luke's. Troy is part of an amazing team that brings an authentic and sustainable 21st-century food business to life. Off the clock, Troy plays drums in a local rock band and is as passionate about music as he is about organic fruit & veg; they are both necessary to nourish the soul and body.

ASSOCIATE PRODUCE BUYER - TOBEN

Toben moved to California from Colorado to attend graduate school. He earned his Master's of Fine Arts in Writing at the University of San Francisco. Toben, along with his girlfriend of 13 years, have found a home here in the city. Toben keeps it low key and is a vegetarian who takes his produce very seriously.

CTO - TOMÁS GUTIÉRREZ

Tomás has been creating digital products for over a decade. Originally from Colombia, he joined his first tech company while finishing his comp-sci/engineering and entrepreneurship & management degree at University of Minnesota. He spent 6 years working his way into the executive ranks at Accenture as part of the Architecture Innovation group, where he led the architecture design, delivery, and operations for multiple high profile web apps for world renowned clients. After some worldwide adventuring and soul searching, Tomás found his way to San Francisco, where he joined Scalable Path at its infancy. There he worked to grow the organization to what it is today, and led many product development projects for clients. At the same time, he's a serial entrepreneur with a few ideas out in the market, as well as always playing with new ones when time allows. Tomás is also a helpless autodidact, nutrition-health-wellness nut, technology aficionado, philosophically bent, squash addicted, adventure seeking, and nature loving human.

BUYING & MERCHANDISING MANAGER - PAUL TRIPP

Paul, originally from Seattle, has been living and working in the Bay Area for 17+ years. He attended Culinary and Baking & Pastry school in Rhode Island and spent 10 years working in restaurants and bakeries. He also worked with Hidden Star Orchard, working at farmers markets for 8 years before managing the farm's operations. He joined the Luke's Local Operations Team in October 2016. Since then, he has been a cornerstone of the Luke's Local operations and buying teams. From Produce Buyer, to Director of Operations, to his current role, Buying & Merchandising Manager, Paul ensures thoughtful sourcing and smooth operations across both locations. In his free time, Paul enjoys rock climbing, gardening, cooking, hiking, and keeping the coffee flowing at the Fox Den.

COO - KAYLEIGH KAHN

In search of a larger food community and a milder climate, Kayleigh moved from Brooklyn to the Bay Area in 2015. She started working at Luke's Local as the Customer Experience Associate; over the years, she's moved into roles as the Customer Experience Manager, Director of Ecommerce, and finally COO. Kayleigh is passionate about public health and changing the food system for the better... and eating. Eating is one of Kayleigh's top 3 favorite activities, so you can usually find her with a sandwich or snack nearby.

STORE MANAGER - SHAY PEREZ

Shay, born in the Philippines, settled into the Bay Area, specifically the East Bay, at a very young age. Prior to working in grocery stores, Shay studied nursing and worked in nursing care facilities. She is friendly and very approachable, you can usually see her chatting up customers whom she is always on a first name basis with. Shay joined Luke's Local as a Front End Supervisor, and soon took on the role of Floor Supervisor before being promoted to Cole Valley Store Manager! When Shay isn't at the store, she enjoys spending her days off with her boyfriend, two pups, and tight knit family.

LINE MANAGER - NATE VASQUEZ

Nate's 13-year meat career in the Bay Area includes every facet of the industry imaginable from meat clerk, manager, and butcher supervisor. His knowledge of whole animal butchery and local farming practices has been acquired from rubbing elbows with all walks of life in the food industry from old school butchers, seasoned chefs and even line cooks. When not at the butcher's block, Nate enjoys listening to records, sketching, and making music.

FRONT END DEVELOPER - JORDAN AYALA

Born in the heart of South America, otherwise known as Paraguay. Jordan is a software engineer with a passion for building apps and learning about all sorts of things. In his free time you can find him at the gym or at his mancave playing video games.

LEAD DEVELOPER - RUDI ULLON

Born and raised in Paraguay, he loves data as much as he loves coffee and traveling. Rudi made a career in the military before he moved on to pursue his love for technology and innovation. Before joining Luke's, he worked for companies in every continent and founded a couple of startups, and after several years in the grocery/food delivery industry, according to his own words, he "found home" in Luke's Local.

CFO - PETE HELLWIG

Pete is passionate about the intersection of personal health, food systems and climate change. He loves working with Luke's Local because of its emphasis on supporting local suppliers and providing its customers with food that nourishes the mind, body and soul.

CENTRAL ALCOHOL BUYER - KEVIN LEMON

Kevin… Where do we begin? His favorite wine is wine, his favorite beer is beer, his favorite spirit is Gin, but he's heard about this thing called Brandy and it's really interesting to him, plus he really likes all of the other spirits too, oh and cocktails, also cocktails. YUM! He enjoys crafting eloquent run-on sentences and non-fictional fiction as well. It all started for Kevin sipping little bits of Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel from his mother's glass at an undetermined age in Santa Cruz, CA. He is very excited to be a part of the Luke's Local family, to see all of your faces once the state allows, and is REALLY excited to eat cheese and drink wine whilst conversing with all of you about some of your favorite beverages or anything at all really. Come say hello and peruse the wine selection with me!

DAIRY BUYER & CHEESEMONGER - EVAN MCLEAN

Evan is often found reading the encyclopedia, not for fun but for a sense of accomplishment. Originally from the Boston area, Evan moved to San Francisco to achieve a higher education not found in books. Eventually, his love of specialty foods blossomed and he decided to pursue his career in cheese. On his days off, Evan can be found humming the Six Flags theme sing and riding his bike, often at the same time.

CENTRAL GROCERY BUYER - JASON PANELLI

Jason is a rare breed and native San Franciscan! Born and raised in North Beach, he grew up around food as his family owned an Italian deli/market for 82 years! After an almost 20 year career in the retail wine and spirits industry, he decided to make a change and circled back to what seemed to be a natural transition into retail grocery. Jason comes to Luke's after stints at the Real Food Co. in Cow Hollow and Gus's Haight Street Market. In his free time, he enjoys to cooking, listening to music and is a devoted sports fan with the Dodgers, Lakers and Buccaneers being his teams of choice.

LEAD COOK - PATRICIA RODRIGUEZ

Patricia, a San Francisco resident for 20 years, has 3 sons and a boyfriend. She's worked at many restaurants as a line cook for about 13 years, as well as a teacher's assistant in classrooms of 3 to 5-year-olds - though her real passion is cooking. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with her family in the park, running, and going to Zumba classes. She also loves to watch her son play soccer every Saturday, and she loves cooking for her family every evening. She's very proud to be a part of Luke's Local; she learns more about cooking every day from everyone on the team. For Patricia, it's really important to cook with love and patience so that the food is delicious.

PREP COOK - ANTONIO KAUIL

Antonio Kauil is from Yucatan, Mexico and has lived in San Francisco for the past 9 years. He's married with 4 sons, 3 of whom are already in college. He has two jobs and works hard to save money to pay for his sons' education and to start his own business someday in the future in Mexico. In Mexico, he was a farmer and grew corn, tomatoes, watermelons, peanuts, and many other vegetables. In his free time, he likes to watch sports, go for walks by the beach, and cook at home.

DISHWASHER - LUIS VILLANUEVA

Luis, born and raised in Peru, made his way to the states by way of California. He is still very new to the country, but couldn't wait to move to San Francisco. Luis is a pretty quiet guy and mainly keeps to himself at the Fox Den. He enjoys hanging out with friends and listening to new music on his days off. Luis is looking forward to learning more from his peers and is very excited for his future.

STORE MANAGER - VINNY VIZCAINO

Vince was born and raised in Madera, CA. He made his way over to San Francisco to study graphic design at SF State. Prior to working at Luke's, Vince used to work as the Food & Beverage Supervisor on Alcatraz cruises. When he's not filling in around the store, Vince enjoys playing video games, listening to music and reading comics.

CASHIER LEAD - ALEX JUNG

Alex grew up just a little ways away down the coast in Pacifica. He decided that the city was for him and moved to San Francisco. He's married with two little dogs that he loves to hang out and play with. When he is not keeping the line of people flowing at the store, Alex, a self-described video game enthusiast, spends his free time playing a variety of different consoles in all different genres.

CASHIER LEAD - HUGO TRUJEQUE

Hailing from Yucatan, Mexico, Hugo wanted to try his luck and moved to the States just a little over three years ago. Hugo was an English teacher before moving to San Francisco. He enjoys watching movies, reading books and binge watching the latest television show. Hugo is an avid POP Funko collector with a collection that tops at about 130.

CASHIER - RACHEL MANILA

Another Bay Area native, Rachel is working her way through school at San Francisco State University studying Digital Communications. Rachel is an accomplished pianist having played for most of her life, 12 years! She enjoys music and is taking up the ukulele at the moment. As if her creativity isn't obvious, she also enjoys crafting and is learning how to make macrame.

SIENA WOOD - ASSOCIATE GROCERY BUYER - UNION

Siena is originally from Virginia where she grew up on an organic farm. She moved out West to attend UC Santa Cruz (Go Banana Slugs!) and has been in the Bay Area ever since. She studied Art during her undergraduate career and continues to practice figurative oil painting for commission and for fun. Siena's love of food and nature stuck with her through her journey to Luke's and continues to inform her work as the Associate Grocery Buyer at the Union Street location! In her free time, Siena enjoys painting, tending to her plants, cooking, and most importantly eating.

JEREMY SUIZO - ASSISTANT STORE MANAGER - UNION

 Born and raised in San Fransisco, Jeremy did his undergrad at UC Berkeley and then attended culinary school at City College of San Fransisco. From there he made his way into managing a candy shop, a contemporary patisserie and cheese shop. During his spare time, Jeremy likes to relax with a good book or video games while his two kittens race around his house.

DIGITAL PRODUCT MANAGER - LARN HOLMES

Larn moved to San Francisco from Oregon to be closer to her boyfriend. Prior to working at Luke's she was working toward becoming a dog trainer. A cheese enthusiast, Larn originally applied to work with wedges and wheels but Evan beat her to it. You can find Larn dancing behind the register while keeping the line moving at Luke's. An avid painter, her true passion is art and calls her style, "Post Apocalyptic Modern Unrealism.

DELI TEAM MEMBER - LUIS VEGA

Luis Vega

ASSOCIATE PRODUCE BUYER - JEREMY KAYE

Jeremy was born and raised in sunny Los Angeles. He spent his teenage years playing the violin in orchestras and small ensembles before eventually going to UC Santa Cruz to study Psychology and Education. It was there he met long term partner Siena Wood, the Associate Grocery Buyer at the Union street location. During the pandemic, they both moved to San Francisco and found a place working together at Luke's Local! In his spare he likes playing the violin, video games, and petting dogs.

ANDREW MORRIS - DELI CLERK

Andrew

JOSHUA MARCIA - GROCERY CLERK

Joshua

MANUEL GONZALEZ - DELI CLERK

Manuel

RAUL MANZO - GROCERY CLERK

I was brought to Luke's by a coworker and I really wanted to experience something new, and Luke's was the place to go! You can catch me playing soccer and watching anime.

KEVIN LOPEZ - CASHIER

KURT TEXTER - BUTCHER CLERK

BELLA PANTALEO - BARISTA

Bella

GROCERY BUYER - PAUL WARDEIN

Paul hails from Kansas City, KS, grew up in Fayetteville, AR, and has been a San Francisco resident for 10+ years. When he's not clocking fitbit steps around the store, he's hiking around the Bay Area, exploring Golden Gate Park, and camping. Or, he's being extremely lazy watching the Giants, Warriors, reruns of The Office and Seinfeld he's already seen a million times, and obsessively listening to music and taking care of his plants. He loves long walks on the beach and pizza. Mostly pizza.

PRODUCE STOCKER - EFRAIN DZUL

Efrain

GROCERY STOCKER - OBED TINOCO

Obed

GROCERY STOCKER - RAMSES ABRAHAM ZUNIGA GARCIA

Ramses

CASHIER - MARCOS DURAN

Marcos Duran

RECEIVER - SHANNAN LEITNER

Shannan, better known as Shannanaganz, Shuh-nan, and many other nicknames, is San Francisco born and Seattle raised. She moved back to SF to extend new roots into a once familiar soil. Shannan joined Luke's as a Cashier, but soon took on the role of Quality Control Associate on our Same-Day team, and now works with the Buying Team as a Receiver. When she's not keeping inventory data on point, you can find her out exploring the city, whipping up something delicious in the kitchen, giving love to all the neighborhood dogs, or getting her hands dirty tending to gardens and compost bins.

PRODUCE STOCKER - EMMA HUGHES

Emma

BUTCHER CLERK - CARLOS

Carlos is proudly hails from Yucatan, Mexico and loves his Mayan heritage. He moved stateside to California years ago for bigger opportunities. Carlos enjoys his time off and loves cruising the hills of SF on his longboard, tending to his bonsai garden and hanging out with his parakeets.

DELI SHIFT LEAD - SAMY

Samy

DELI TEAM MEMBER - DONOVAN PERRY

Donovan made his way from Colorado to escape the midwest and study physics. Prior to joining the team at Luke's, he worked at a few other grocery markets. Donovan is a dreamer and always looks forward to his next step in life. After spending time in San Francisco, his next destination city is New York where he'll spend some time there before he pursues his real dream of moving out of the country. Fun fact about Donovan, he lives in the Jimi Hendrix house!

SAME DAY DELIVERY DRIVER - RONY YOC DIAZ

Rony came to San Francisco from Guatemala with his family. Before coming to Luke's Local, Rony worked mostly in bars and restaurants in the kitchen cooking up delicious cuisines. On his days off, Rony likes to stay active outdoors. When the sun is out and the heat is high, he likes to go for a swim in Lake Merritt.

CASHIER/SAME DAY PACKER - ALEXIS GARRETT

Alexis is from Oceanside, California; where it's always sunny and warm. She loves to bake in her free time, muffins being her favorite baked good. She also loves all Italian food!

FLORIST - BENNY BLOOMS

Benny, born in Southern California and raised in Minnesota, moved to San Francisco for the fun of it. Before working at Luke's, Benny was the Quality Control Manager at Farmgirl Flowers and had an apprenticeship at. When he's not putting together beautiful custom arrangements for Luke's Local, Benny loves watching drag queens lip sync for their life on RuPaul's Drag Race.

ASSISTANT STORE MANAGER - ALEX VANCE

Alex recently relocated to Cole Valley from Bend, Oregon. With a professional background in baking, bartending, and coffee, she hopes to always keep growing a well-rounded knowledge and love of all things food related. When she's not at work or in her kitchen, she can be found soaking up the rays or looking at other people's dogs.

PRODUCE STOCKER - JULIAN SAUTER

California native who spent half his childhood in Wyoming, moved back to SF to get a fresh start. A true fruit lover, one of his favorite things to do is try every new variety of apple he comes across, his favorite being Cosmic Crisp. When not rotating citrus or cutting up melon for fruit cups, he's getting swole at the gym, chowing on vegan sandwiches, or exploring around the city.

CASHIER/SAME DAY PACKER - DANIEL BADGER

Daniel

CASHIER - ETHAN LAMPING

Ethan

AP CLERK - MATTHEW ARTHUR

Originally from Sacramento, Matthew has called the Bay Area home for thirteen years now. Prior to working a Luke's, he was the head butcher at Avedano's Meats in Bernal Heights. Outside of work, Matthew can be found attempting to learn a new instrument, backpacking somewhere wild, or complaining about the proliferation of technology. Being equal parts a gourmet and sustainable food system advocate, he derives no greater pleasure in life than preparing a bountiful feast for friends and family.

CASHIER/SAME DAY PACKER - MELODY MOORE

Melody is from sunny SoCal and is currently a student at SFSU studying sociology. Her favorite food is sushi and kale salads, and she love to have picnics on the beach with her friends.

RUBI SOLIS - BARISTA/DELI TEAM MEMBER

Rubi is from Yucatan, Mexico and her passion for making coffee brought her to Luke's Local. She enjoys bike rides at sunset and eating her favorite Indian foods.

JAZMIN LOZANO - SAME DAY DRIVER/SAME DAY PACKER

Hi my name is Jazmin! San Francisco has been my home for most of my life. I came to Luke's through a great friend and I so happen to live along Golden Gate Park at the time so walking to work on a sunny day was definitely a highlight of the start of my work day! If I'm not at Luke's I'm probably in class/studying or running around the city with my friends! :)

ISRRAEL JULCA - BUTCHER CLERK

Isrrael Julca