Today, we’re excited to introduce Virtuous Pie UBC Wesbrook Head Chef, Max Grenzberg.

A few things we know about Max: he’s friendly, funny, and always positive (even when the kitchen get busy!). We love Max because of his great leadership and his genuine interest to support the store team. Plus, he’s always down to have long conversations about anything, from sports, to politics, or (his favourite) rock music.

MAX GRENZBERG | Vancouver UBC Wesbrook

What’s your favourite pizza or add-ons on the menu? 

Definitely the Sweet Pepper and Sausage: the spice of the sausage and hot honey balances really nicely with the sweetness of the peppers and the creamy cashew mozzarella! 

And Garlic Ranch, it makes everything better! 

What does living a plant-based lifestyle mean to you? 

I’m not completely plant-based, but am moving in that direction. Eating a plant-based diet has great health benefits, but it’s also the single biggest thing we can do as individuals to reduce our impact on the natural environment. We all have a part to play in fighting the most significant threat facing our planet. 

Tell us about something you are passionate about. 

In the hospitality industry, the guest is our number one focus. But sometimes that focus can cause managers to overlook the well-being of their team. I’m really passionate about providing not only a great experience for our customers, but equally as important, for our staff. I want the restaurant to be a safe work environment where everyone on the team feels comfortable and looks forward to coming to work.   

What made you choose to be a Chef? What are the best parts of the job? 

I worked in restaurants through high school and my undergrad, but only recently decided it’s what I want to do as a career. Initially, I thought I wanted to work in the political sphere, but restaurants are just too much fun. 

I enjoy working in restaurants because there’s so much variation in what we do. From sourcing fresh ingredients and creating new dishes, to joking with our team, meeting guests and running busy services, every day is different and exciting. 

Virtuous Pie is in our people. We know that we couldn’t do what we do without our amazing store teams. Our restaurant team members are the people that you see day in and day out – bringing the Virtuous Pie vision to life. From making your favourite pizzas to helping you choose the perfect scoop for dessert. That’s why we wanted to feature some of our favourite people in the world – our store partners!