Restaurant Experience

Brian Malarkey is one of the country’s most successful and sought-after chef/restaurateurs. Throughout his career he has created over 15 wildly successful restaurant concepts. In 2012 he sold majority stake of his first restaurant group (Searsucker and Herringbone) to global Hakkasan Group for $25 million, which he grew to include 10+ locations in the U.S. and internationally. Shortly after he resigned from the group and created a second restaurant group, the Puffer Malarkey Collective, with his longtime business partner, Christopher Puffer. Together they have opened 10 different San Diego based concepts in 5 years, including the nationally acclaimed Herb & Wood, coastal neighborhood gem Herb & Sea, his opulent Pan Asian experience, Animae, and soon to open Le Coq. In 2024, Malarkey is opening a restaurant in his hometown of Bend, Oregon named Hawkeye & Huckleberry Lounge. In partnership with Irvine Company he created Herb & Ranch, a concept for one of their Irvine-based business parks.

Television Experience

Malarkey is a regular judge on the Food Network on Guy’s Grocery Games, Tournament of Champions and is the host of Beachside Brawl. He was a contestant on Bravo’s Top Chef All-Stars (Season 17), Top Chef season 3 finalist, and winning mentor on ABC’s The Taste, which he co-hosted alongside Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson and Ludo Lefebvre. Malarkey has judged a variety of television cooking programs, including Rachael vs. Guy: Kids Cook Off, Chopped All-Stars, and Cutthroat Kitchen. He can be seen headlining food and wine festivals around the country and making appearances on the Today Show and Good Morning America.