Celebrity chef appointed to Huntington Beach City Council after police clear council chambers

A chef was appointed to the Huntington Beach City Council Tuesday night, after things reached a boiling point in the pot the council chambers has become.

Celebrity chef Andrew Gruel was unanimously appointed to a seat on the council, taking the seat vacated by Tony Strickland after he won the special election to represent state Senate District 36.

Gruel was sworn in by council member Gracey Van Der Mark.

In his comments after taking his seat, he called Huntington Beach the greatest city in the nation.

“Everything that we do here is obviously emblematic of a movement to be able to focus on local politics, but also represent true American values, family freedom, etc.,” said Gruel, 44. “A lot of people probably look at my position and say, what the heck does a chef know about all that stuff?” He explained that cutting waste is inherent to chefs. “That’s what I do.”

Huntington Beach Mayor Pat Burns, with a bust of Donald Trump next to him, listens to public comments during Tuesday’s meeting.

(James Carbone)

The two-hour meeting did not lack for drama, with police taking the rare step of completely clearing council chambers after escorting out residents on both sides of the political divide for disrupting the meeting. No one was arrested.

Mayor Pat Burns called two five-minute recesses before the third recess, in which police cleared the council chambers. Only Gruel’s family and media members were allowed to stay.

Some members of the audience chanted “No more MAGA!” as they left the chambers. They held up black-and-white signs, reading “Tell the Truth” on one side and “Listen to Us” on the other.

The council brought back out the bust of President Donald Trump for the meeting, seating it on the edge of the dais in front of the seat of Mayor Pro Tem Casey McKeon, who was absent.

Resident Emily Sharp mentioned the Trump bust during her comments and accused the council of wanting to be part of the “media circuit.”

“It’s clear that you guys don’t really give a [expletive] about us,” Sharp said, not the only one to use profanity during her comments.

Burns responded.

“Please don’t do that again, OK?” he said. “That’s disturbing, that’s not in proper decorum. I’ll mute you again if you start saying that again.”

People applaud to public comments at Tuesday’s Huntington Beach City Council meeting.

(James Carbone)

Some public speakers asked the council to hold a special election to fill Strickland’s seat rather than appoint someone, although the city charter gives the council the power to appoint.

The last time there was a vacancy, the council appointed Rhonda Bolton in 2021 to replace Tito Ortiz. At the time, conservatives sought either a special election or the appointing of Van Der Mark, who was the first runner-up in the 2020 election.

Gruel’s new seat is up for reelection in 2026.

According to the meeting agenda, Gruel was one of three candidates who council members had suggested to City Manager Travis Hopkins for the open seat, along with Valentina Bankhead and Planning Commissioner Ken Babineau.

Andrew Gruel smiles as he is sworn in during Tuesday night’s Huntington Beach City Council meeting.

(James Carbone)

Bankhead and Babineau both made public comments Tuesday night during which they asked that they be removed from consideration.

Gruel was mentioned publicly as a strong choice by former city attorney Michael Gates at his going-away party at the Huntington Club on March 1, with Gates inviting Gruel to join him and the council members.

Gruel, who opened his first restaurant in Huntington Beach in 2011, has four children with his wife Lauren. He has been known for his philanthropy.

He offered up his restaurant in Sunset Beach as a hub during the Southern California fires earlier this year and delivered supplies. During the pandemic, the then-Slapfish owner started a fund to aid restaurant workers.

Gruel also has a large following on social media and sometimes appears on Fox News. He has been largely critical of California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

He said he appreciated the passion and charisma from the residents, calling it inspiring and saying he talks to hundreds of restaurant guests every day to hear what they’re passionate about.

Andrew Gruel sits at his seat after being sworn in as a new Huntington Beach City Council member Tuesday night.

(James Carbone)

“We hear about the high level, really media-friendly topics that get everybody worked up,” he said. “But at the end of the day, a really great city like Huntington Beach is, it comes down to, is the drinking water clean? Did your car get broken into when you went out to your car this morning? Are there potholes in the street? Are the parks safe? Do the kids have a place to play? Are the schools fun?”

In an interview after the meeting, he reiterated that working on fundamental topics like those was what excited him about his new role.

“If anyone wants to go through all of my stuff, you’ll probably never hear me utter the four letters,” Gruel said, a reference to “MAGA.”

“Chris Kluwe said something tonight [during public comments] about transparency. I’m really looking at this as I’m representative of the entire city. If anybody wants to know how I distill people’s opinions into actionable policy, or whatever you want to call it, I have nothing to hide. I’m a registered Libertarian. I’m very unique.”