R Gang Eatery

Former Executive Chef at Confidential Restaurant + Loft and Season 5 contestant on Bravo TV's Emmy-winning hit reality show, Top Chef, the loveable, jovial, cuddly bear of a chef, Rich Sweeney (Spanky to close friends and family,) spent a year searching, sourcing, planning and modifying the ideal location for his first signature restaurant in San Diego. Not willing to settle for less than what he truly wanted, restaurant plans changed and evolved over time and, in the course of development, he started WannaBChef.com, a catering, personal chef, special events and entertainment lifestyle company that showcase his signature style of food and fun. Chef Rich spent time working, cooking, teaching, creating recipes, traveling the US attending culinary events and consulting on international restaurant openings while simultaneously continuing to search for that one location he felt was right. When he learned that the former Busalacchi's on Fifth space was available for sale, he jumped at the opportunity. After Busalacchi's closed, Chef Rich, designer Keith Roberti, contractor Michael Bobo and a 'gang' of friends and family who volunteered to help, spent a month remodeling and refreshing the restaurant's interiors and prepping R Gang Eatery for opening. On June 1, 2010, Chef Rich's dream became reality — a restaurant serving his food, his way, where all are welcome, pretension is not on the menu and fun is an absolute.