Award Winning Chef & Restaurateur

Acclaimed for her fine dining background as both a pastry and savory chef, Jessica Yarr is the Executive Chef and Owner of The Grove Café and Bakery in Felton, California — an innovative, plant-forward café that has become a cornerstone of the local food community.

Jessica’s culinary journey includes serving as Campus Executive Chef at Adobe’s global headquarters, where she gained extensive experience in kitchen design, large-scale team management, and orchestrating high-level catering and events for executives across a wide range of cuisines. That foundation, paired with her pastry expertise, informs her ability to execute with both precision and creativity at any scale.

In addition to leading The Grove, Jessica operates the pop-up concepts Chicken Foot, focusing on plant-based Eastern European comfort food, and Brunch Shift, a playful brunch series she had on rotation at local farmer’s markets. She also runs a catering project known for unique, elevated dining experiences at both intimate gatherings and large-scale events throughout the Bay Area.

Jessica is deeply committed to community and collaboration. Each year, she donates her time and talents to local fundraisers and benefit dinners, and regularly partners with farms, chefs, and food organizations to highlight the richness of Northern California’s food culture. Jessica recently launched The Monterey Bay Chef’s Collaborative with a mission to strengthen the Monterey Bay food community through monthlty gatherings, meaningful collaboration, and genuine connections.

Looking forward, Jessica is pursuing her ambition to open a fine dining restaurant while also expanding The Grove into multiple locations, further cementing her role as a leader shaping the regional dining landscape.