About Us
Brad Metzger Restaurant Solutions (BMRS), a Southern California based Hospitality Recruitment and Placement firm, has established relationships with and represents the most acclaimed independent fine dining restaurants in the U.S., celebrity chef restaurant groups, casual restaurant companies, luxury hotels, country clubs and distinguished private chef clients.
BMRS has successfully placed the finest Candidates in a wide range of Front and Back of the House Managerial positions, including R&D, Corporate, Executive, Sous and Pastry Chefs, Food and Beverage Directors, General Managers, Director of Operations, Event Coordinators, Sommeliers, Beverage Directors and Restaurant Managers.
BMRS Clients and Candidates include Food and Wine Magazine Best New Chefs, James Beard Award winners and Michelin-Starred restaurants.
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BMRS founded the LA Chef Conference in 2018 and it has grown to be one of the premier industry events in the US. Speakers and participating Chefs and Media have included Wolfgang Puck, Nyesha Arrington, Suzanne Goin, Will Guidara, Ruth Reichl, Mei Lin, Brooke Williamson, Curtis Stone, Jean- Georges Vongerichten, Bill Addison and many more. LA Chef Con, held at LA Trade Tech Culinary Arts Pathway and Presented by OpenTable, features panel discussions, cooking demos and an LA Chef Con Food Festival Lunch featuring many of the most acclaimed Chefs in LA.
The BMRS team has earned the reputation as authorities in Hospitality Recruiting and Human Resources, having been quoted by and appeared in the LA Times, Nation’s Restaurant News and Los Angeles Magazine. Our Test Kitchen, a first for the recruiting industry, has been featured in the LA Times and Food Arts Magazine. The BMRS team frequently speaks to students at UCLA courses in Restaurant Management, LA Trade Tech Culinary School and is on the Industry Advisory Board for the Institute of Culinary Education. The team are regulars at the James Beard Awards in New York, the Food and Wine Magazine Classic in Aspen, and the International Chef’s Congress in New York.
LAUREN O'NEILL
Director of Management Recruitment
Lauren discovered her love for food and restaurants at a young age, getting her start serving tables at a local café in her hometown of Huntington Beach. After graduating from UC Santa Barbara, Lauren moved to Los Angeles to pursue her interest in craft beer and the hospitality industry, working in management at several different craft beer-centric restaurants and breweries, such as Mohawk Bend and Bluebird Brassiere. After overseeing the openings of multiple brewpubs, Lauren developed a love for the hiring process and joined the BMRS team as a Management Recruiter, where she enjoys helping candidates start their next professional chapter. In her spare time, Lauren enjoys being outdoors, traveling, cooking and spending time with her fiancée and their dog Zoe.
LEIGH DAVIDSON
Recruiter
Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Leigh fell into the restaurant industry at a young age. Moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting, she continued her restaurant career and received her degree in Communications. After a short stint in advertising and events, Leigh’s passion for connecting people and love of the restaurant industry left her wanting more. Finally, she found the perfect home as a Recruiting Coordinator at BMRS.
MADELINE HARBACH
Recruiter
An industry newcomer and the most recent addition to the BMRS team, Madeline began her career on the opposite end of the HR spectrum as a disability compliance consultant after graduating from California Lutheran University. An avid traveler and the least picky eater you will ever meet, she decided to take a leap of faith in early 2020 and set out in search of a career change that would allow her to unite her passion for food, travel, and culture with her desire to make a lasting impact in others’ lives. Since finding her new home at BMRS, she has been able to do just that! In her spare time, Madeline can be found eating her way through Los Angeles’ restaurant scene, jamming out at concerts, and befriending the feral cats in her neighborhood.
ALIX LEE
Recruiter
Aqua was a very special Skilled Companion, Canine Companions for Independence Service Dog for children with special needs. The Metzger family was fortunate to receive her when she was 2 years old in 2012. She was a frequent visitor to the BMRS offices as our Mascot and she was a very good judge of candidates, often lying down at the feet of ones she especially liked!
LAUREN O'NEILL
Director of Management Recruitment
Lauren discovered her love for food and restaurants at a young age, getting her start serving tables at a local café in her hometown of Huntington Beach. After graduating from UC Santa Barbara, Lauren moved to Los Angeles to pursue her interest in craft beer and the hospitality industry, working in management at several different craft beer-centric restaurants and breweries, such as Mohawk Bend and Bluebird Brassiere. After overseeing the openings of multiple brewpubs, Lauren developed a love for the hiring process and joined the BMRS team. As Director of Management Recruitment, she enjoys helping candidates start their next professional chapter. In her spare time, Lauren enjoys being outdoors, traveling, cooking and spending time with her fiancée and their dog Zoe.
LEIGH DAVIDSON
Recruiter
Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Leigh fell into the restaurant industry at a young age. Moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting, she continued her restaurant career and received her degree in Communications. After a short stint in advertising and events, Leigh’s passion for connecting people and love of the restaurant industry left her wanting more. Finally, she found the perfect home as a Recruiter at BMRS.
MADELINE HARBACH
Recruiter
An industry newcomer and the most recent addition to the BMRS team, Madeline began her career on the opposite end of the HR spectrum as a disability compliance consultant after graduating from California Lutheran University. An avid traveler and the least picky eater you will ever meet, she decided to take a leap of faith in early 2020 and set out in search of a career change that would allow her to unite her passion for food, travel, and culture with her desire to make a lasting impact in others’ lives. Since finding her new home at BMRS, she has been able to do just that! In her spare time, Madeline can be found eating her way through Los Angeles’ restaurant scene, jamming out at concerts, and befriending the feral cats in her neighborhood.
ALIX LEE
Recruiter
Alix has spent most of her life in Southern CA and graduated from the University of San Diego in 2008. She moved back home to LA where she began her hospitality journey serving tables at The Counter. After joining the management team and later becoming GM, Alix developed a deep appreciation for every role in the restaurant industry and those who can fill them. In 2023, Alix joined the BMRS team where she could learn a whole new side of the restaurant world and assist with helping others find their role within it. When she’s not working, Alix is probably scheduling her next meal while spending time with her cat, husband and family.
JACQUI LEANZA
Managing Partner
Originally from Chicago, Jacqui’s love of food and hospitality began at a young age as she spent her summers lending a hand in her family’s Argentine restaurant in Mexico City. This led her to a career in restaurant management and later, recruitment with respected groups such as The Cheesecake Factory and Patina Restaurants. Her career took her to Dallas, New York and Las Vegas before returning to Manhattan Beach where she now lives with her husband and children. Jacqui thrives on making meaningful connections with candidates and clients to help them make the best decisions for their careers and operations.
BRAD METZGER
President
Brad began his restaurant career in 1983 as a bread baker and prep cook at Spago and went on to work at many other top restaurants on the West Coast. In 2003 he founded BMRS and in 2010 pioneered the concept of the Test Kitchen which was a first for the recruiting industry. In 2018 Brad founded the LA Chef Conference which is a premier industry conference on the West Coast. Brad travels the US seeking top culinary and management talent for his BMRS Clients.
HANNAH FEUERSTEIN-SIMON
Senior Recruiter
A native of upstate New York, Hannah’s experience in the hospitality industry began at the age of 15. She followed her passion for the industry, leading her to graduate with a Hospitality Management degree from Syracuse University. Upon graduation, Hannah joined the management team at Shake Shack in NYC. After four years with Shake Shack, she moved to California and found the perfect position at BMRS as a Senior Recruiter.
ALLY BARTON
Partner / Director of Culinary Recruitment
An LA local, Ally started her hospitality career like many – waiting tables! After progressing up the ranks in operations, she decided to follow her love of restaurants into hospitality recruitment and joined BMRS from 2011-2015. Rounding out her acumen, she spent the last five years recruiting and opening new concepts with Patina Restaurant Group, Waldorf Astoria/Hilton and Delaware North. Ally leapt at the opportunity to return to the BMRS family in 2020, passionate to help candidates and clients find longterm fits. In her free time, she enjoys bourbon, visiting industry friends, and cozy weekends with her husband + pets.
PRESS
“(BMRS) has been placing culinary talent in Michelin-star kitchens for nearly two decades."
Benefits For Candidates
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Confidentiality
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No charge to Candidates
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Access to many unadvertised superior career opportunities
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Assistance with your resume and interviewing skills
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Understanding of your short and long term goals, as well as finding the culture in which you will thrive
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Full disclosure of Client Company Profile and Job Description
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Interviews with decision makers
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We coordinate interviews and assist throughout the entire process
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Use of our Test Kitchen for Client Company tastings
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Assistance with compensation package negotiations
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Overall career guidance
Keeping the hospitality industry staffed since 2004
Our Ethics
The most ethical and professional standards in the recruiting industry are observed at all times by all BMRS Associates. BMRS will never recruit Candidates from current Client Companies and will never recruit a placed Candidate from any Client. Confidentiality is maintained at all times. We will never submit a candidate’s resume to any position without their permission. We have confidential offices at our headquarters where candidate and clients can meet off-premises from the restaurant locations. Our Test Kitchen provides a discreet location for our Chef Candidates to cook for the BMRS staff and our Client Companies. BMRS believes strongly in giving back to the community and to our industry. We host special celebrity chef dinners at our Test Kitchen for select charities as well as cooking classes for special needs children.
