Laughing Monk NOPA
Laughing Monk Brewery & Gastropub – Bio
Founded in San Francisco, Laughing Monk Brewery & Gastropub brings together craft beer and creative, comfort-driven cuisine. Known for its small-batch Belgian-inspired ales, modern IPAs, and rotating seasonal releases, Laughing Monk has grown into a familiar name in the Bay Area beer and dining community.
With additional gastropub locations in Sunnyvale and Scotts Valley, Laughing Monk has built neighbourhood spaces that pair approachable food with its signature brews.
Now, the brand is preparing to open its most ambitious project yet: the new San Francisco flagship on Fulton Street. The space will shift throughout the day—from gastropub lunch to refined dinner to a late-night lounge—marking Laughing Monk’s first multi-format dining experience. Partnering with Chef Reina Montenegro, known for her innovative plant-forward cuisine, the flagship will expand the brand’s culinary direction while staying rooted in its core values: great beer, great food, and community. From neighbourhood pubs to a new destination in San Francisco, Laughing Monk continues to celebrate creativity, culture, and connection one pint and one plate at a time.
After more than 20 years in the restaurant industry, Chef Reina Montenegro was ready to retire. She had built restaurants on her own for so long that she often said her only dream was to have a real team behind her so she could fall back in love with cooking again. That dream came true when Laughing Monk CEO, Sam Ghadiri, reached out. In their first meeting, he echoed exactly what she’d been saying for years—that she deserved support so she could focus on what she loves most.
What truly sealed it was when Sam offered a role not only to her, but also to her son, Andrew, who had trained beside her since age 12. At just 21, he was ready to step into leadership as her number two. “He got me at ‘we want to offer your son a role,’” she says. “I sobbed after that meeting.”
For Chef Reina, joining Laughing Monk is more than a job-it’s a chance to cook with joy again, to create food that brings people together, and to expand beyond the Filipino dishes she became known for. “This venture is a dream,” she says. “I can’t wait to start.”