Co Owner and Manager Ruben perez has spent most of his life working in professional restaurants. From working early on in his father’s properties he got to learn all aspects of the front and back of the house operations.

Ruben went on to hone his craft with the famous David Meyers Group in LA at “SONA” and their other sister properties for several years.

In 2010 Ruben reunited with Dad (Chef Robert Perez) and together founded The Black Sheep Restaurant which has been a local favorite with a Cult following for the last decade.

The Black Sheep Restaurant has earned a reputation for outstanding cuisine in a fun casual atmosphere that has earned them top ten USA Today honors and top five reviewed properties from Yelp in Santa Barbara County.

Ruben has long been a believer in building genuine strong relationships with guests one interaction at a time and really delivering a personalized experience that is fun, interactive and warm. The Black Sheep SB Brasserie will have that same personalized character thanks to Ruben’s vision and approach.

Consulting Chef Jake brings over 30 years of professional kitchen experience to The Black Sheep. Having trained under incredible chef’s such as Remi Lavaund, Michael Otsuka and many more, he honed his creativity and skillset at a young age before becoming an Executive Chef for high end restaurant groups. The ZAGAT guide has called his approach “The Gold Standard” and “Unbeatable California Cuisine”.

Chef Jake Reimer went on to become a consultant for high profile restaurant and hotel groups including Relais & Chateaux properties and five diamond resorts.

After several years he became a Corporate Executive Chef for the west region partnered with Morrison Living & Bon Appetite under Compass Group.

Since 2021 Chef has had success creating mixed media and digital art using kitchen tools and became a member of the Santa Barbara Arts and Crafts Show. All while cooking for small parties and gatherings. During this transition time it gave him the opportunity to meet The Perez Family and help them launch their new venture.

Chef Robert Perez has had a hall of fame career starting with training at the National Culinary Academy of the Netherlands and graduating as the first American to do so. From that point he went on to work and lead in many of Europes top kitchens including multiple Michelin two star properties.

After many years in Europe Chef Robert returned to California and became Executive Chef at prestigious properties including Auberge De Soleil in Napa Valley as well as creating and owning Citronee Bistro & Wine Bar in Gold County. There he received high accolades from The New York and LA Times.

Years later Chef Robert reunited with Ruben and together with his Wife Marianna opened up together The Black Sheep Restaurant in Santa Barbara, CA. To the delights of locals and guests visiting the area he created forward thinking cuisine using the best of the local bounty with a unique emphasis on incredible fish and seafood preparations.

Chef will be joining the team at Black Sheep SB Brasserie for culinary support as well as heading up private upscale private events and catering.