davin waite | chef | co-CEO

a local legend in the sustainable food community, chef davin waite is a classically trained sushi chef who thrives on pushing boundaries with creative uses for ingredients that deliver exciting flavors while minimizing food waste and celebrating local proteins and produce. davin co-owns and oversees culinary operations at oceanside restaurants wrench & rodent seabasstropub — beloved for its innovative omakase and dry-aging program — plant-based The Plot (now three locations and growing), local seafood concept shoots fish x beer, and most recently brine box, a sustainable seafood joint situated at the end of the iconic oceanside pier.

with each new project, davin creates a dining ethos in his own image; scrappy, irreverent and constantly pushing boundaries. he aims to stay in a state of consistent innovation and creation in order to inspire a brighter food future. he has taught sustainable cooking techniques to elementary students, culinary students and city officials. davin has collaborated on grants with scripps institute of oceanography and NOAA fisheries in an effort to popularize sustainable cooking techniques, turning bycatch and less utilized cuts into marketable dishes. he was recently bestowed the 2022 sustainability advocate award by the california travel association, the only chef to receive the honor.

davin’s menus reflect his mission and core values as he continues to evolve as a chef and as an advocate.

jessica waite | activist | co-CEO

jessica earned an mba in general management at pepperdine university and has studied circular economy and sustainable business practices at cambridge judge business school. she is president of the local non-profit berry good food and sits on the board of one kitchen collaborative, working within her community to promote local and responsible food sourcing. her goal is to build businesses that are regenerative: benefitting all partners, community members, and the planet.

in 2017, while attending the california resource recovery association in san diego, jessica wrote the first business plan for a restaurant with a zero-waste ethos and an entirely plant-based menu. two and a half years later, the first location of the plot opened in south oceanside. the plot is yet another extension of jessica’s sustainability projects that she has pursued with husband and partner davin for over ten years. a vegetarian by age seven and vegan for more than half of her 41 years, jessica considers the plot to be the most culture-shifting restaurant she’s co-conceived to date. the plot, a 100% plant-based oasis, focuses on the whole vegetable, the total utilization of fresh, boundary-pushing ingredients — some of which are grown directly behind the restaurant. the plot was awarded the best new restaurant in 2020 by san diego magazine and awarded one of the best new restaurants in the US by the vegetarian times in 2021. In 2023, the plot was ranked #2 in tasting table’s list of the “20 best restaurants in san diego” and one of “the most sustainable vegan restaurants nationwide” by veg out.

jessica is prepared to feed the evolution and illuminate the idea that plant-based eating does not have to be dull but rather colorful, imaginative, and full of flavor.