Meet Dominico Booker of Santa Ana Brunch Club

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dominico Booker.

Hi Dominico, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
i fell in love with the kitchen at a very young age. Like a lot of us in the industry and in life in general, I came from a broken home full of crazy stories in itself. My mom raised me as a single mom along with my 2 older sisters. Honestly hats off to her, now that I’m older and have a family of my own I realize all that she did for us, with what little she had. For that I dedicated my career to her and the powerful woman in my life who helped shape me into the person I am today, can’t leave out my Jewish grandpa “Big Al, without him as the man filling in for my absent father not sure where things would have ended up!” Most of our meals were homemade and we all spent so much time hanging out in the kitchen. As young as I can remember I was helping out and making my own breakfast and may have burned up a few microwaves as well before the age of 8 !! Most kids would be watching cartoon or being kids, but I preferred to watch emeral legasse and the OG food network of the early 90s thinking that those chefs were larger than life and I wanted to be just like them one day. My mom to this day is one of the best cooks ever, she has over 120 years of recipes she has collected from our European families as well as my Italian side. Later on in life I quickly fell in love with music and went down that road of trying to become a rockstar. After high school I dedicated myself full time to music, playing, recording and touring. After traveling most of the country playing shows I found myself coming home jobless and broke and still at my parents house or living on a couch in band house and well, I was 21 and quickly realizing that the music industry wasn’t for me. But with my past, I thought cooking might actually be a good route to go. I signed up to San Francisco Culinary Program at SFCC. Packed up a U-Haul, moved into a studio with my then girlfriend and went all in on my culinary career. There was a life defining moment that happened and to this day is one of my favorite stories. I romanticized about cruising around SF with a Vespa and how cool it would be. I saved up for 3 months and bought one. On my way to work (barista at the ferry building ) I crashed, went through a red light and was instantly TBoned, mind you I was only in my first semester of culinary school and now out of transportation and suffering from 2 weeks of injury’s and a concussion I failed to show up to work and soon found myself jobless. But I thought to myself, if I’m going to get a job, why not try and get a job in the kitchen somewhere. I went on Craigslist and soon found a job for an Italian restaurant. I applied and the owner called me for a stage paid shift. Upon arriving the broken English with the head chef at the time quickly turned into an Anthony Bourdain kitchen confidential chapter, where the head cook walked out thinking I was there to replace him, not knowing I was just there to work the pantry and do dishes he stormed off and quit. The owner came up to me and asked if I know how to cook Italian food and well being 1/2 Italian I quickly faked it until I made it. Making chicken Parmesan, Marsala, veal piccata and most of the dishes was just like the old days of me cooking at home with my mom and bubby. (Fake it tell you make it moment for sure) I found myself in my second semester of culinary school and already the head chef of this little Italian restaurant in San Francisco. Thinking back what a s**t show that really was, but that confidence along with a life in the kitchen I realized that’s where I needed/wanted to be. I ended up quitting and working for a rad bar that’s still there called The Hi-Dive, next to the giants stadium. After 2 years i realized I had worked my way up to the top as far as I could there and with my culinary friends graduating and getting internships across the country at Michelin restaurants, I once again realized I needed to step it up if I wanted to become the chef I aspired to be. I once again found myself looking through job ads and found one that interested me. “Sous Chef job opening for Sweet Woodruff a sister restaurant to the now 2 star Michelin restaurant Sons & Daughters. I got an interview, staged and was hired as there Sous Chef. What an incredible experience and life changing one that was. Daily menu changes, and our own farm that provided most the produce and seasonal fruits. What a game changer that was being able to share the same spaces as Sons & Daughters I was blown away and inspired. During a fluke flood I was able to work at Sons & Daughters during the remodel and those 3 months working side by side there Chefs I was quickly molded into the chef I dreamt of being. After 2 years with them I found myself again 27 and wondering if I could take the next step and become the actual chef. After several pop ups and self run failing ventures, I found myself at a crossroads in San Francisco. I had been away from my family for almost 10 years and it was time to come back home. After a few months of being back home in Dana Point, I found a job as the chef at this rad mom & pop Louisiana inspired restaurant called Iva Lees, after a few months I met who would become my wife. Then Covid hit and things got weird for most of us. But during that time we started our own Supperclub and that grew and grew especially during the Covid era we were doing over 4 dozen 4/5 course take away dinners out of our small 2 bedroom San Clemente Beach apartment. Soon towards the end of Covid we found ourselves pregnant and I new I needed to step up again and keep onwards to that goal of owning my own restaurant. I reached out to my family who owned a run down 4 plex in Santa Ana and asked if I could take it over. With the money we had saved up over the last 2 years of COVID we went all in on the remodel. With that being said $75 k doesn’t go very far, it was like the first scene out of the second season of The Bear. I ended up doing 90% of all the remodel myself I quickly became the genesis contractor and found myself going to the university of YouTube. How we got here is mind blowing. After a year 1/2 of red tape we were finally approved and ready to open. Within our first 6 months we were named in the top 10 new best brunch restaurants in southern California and gaining traction in the foody community. Our team quickly evolved and I found myself hiring the brunch chef of The Playground/Detention group “love you Kev.” And Chef Mateo formerly the Sous chef for at the time the only Michelin rated Mexican restaurant Taco Maria. Our team was strong and our customers have always been so kind and supportive. The beginning years were turbulent as far as finances goes and revenue. on paper and social media we were crushing it, but the truth is family loans were still offsetting payroll..It’s a hard pill to swallow when everyone asks about how well it’s doing. On one hand my dreams have come true, the reviews were coming in and fulfilling me but I still wasn’t able to provide for my family. So it was mirrored by sadness and felt undeserved and overwhelming. Got so bad I was thinking about selling it and walking away before the restaurant turned 2, very common in our industry. But I never gave up, my partner brought me on as the executive chef for his new wedding Venue Agape, and with that job I was able to maintain brunch and continue to build it. This last year has been nothing shy of a Christmas miracle, Around January 2025 we had our best month yet, then the months kept growing and getting busier and busier. In the last year our team has managed to double its revenue. Our staff has grown to 8 employees and I am so proud of our team. They help me run brunch as if they owned it themselves, with there hard work and sticking it out with me they have helped truly keep the magic alive and my dream alive and well at Santa Ana Brunch Club. As the year ends I find myself applying for our Beer & wine license and looking forward to expanding our current brunch location. Along with my partner at my other location we just submitted for a new location in San Clemente and I hope to get that up and running by summer 2026. It has been nothing short of hell of ride. I am extremely grateful for my wife and now 4 year old son for sticking it out with me as they have been my backbone and inspiration. I find myself very humbled as a business owner that has been blessed with a lot of success lately but I can’t forget where I came from and how hard it was to get to where I am today, but the truth is by all means necessary I never gave up.

Cheers
Chef Dom

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Building your own restaurant from the ground up is insane, but well worth the reward if you have a great team behind you.

We’ve been impressed with Santa Ana Brunch Club , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Santa Ana Brunch Club- 3 years old
Agape San Clemente- 2 years old
1928 Catering & Provisions 2 years old
New restaurant currently being built out in San Clemente- TBD summer 2026

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
You can support us by enjoying a delicious homemade meal at our current location .

Pricing:

• $17
• $29

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Santaanabrunchclub.com
• Instagram: @santaanabrunchclub
• Facebook: Santaanabrunchclub
• LinkedIn: Santaanabrunchclub
• Yelp: Santaanabrunchclub

Image Credits
@eugeneuechi
@klausburkhart.com