Chefs + Co-Owners | Kisser + Babychan

Brian Lea, a California native, honed his skills under chefs like Charlie Palmer and Jose Andres before becoming sous chef at Husk Nashville. He later moved to LA where he served as Chef De Cuisine at Trois Mec, where he met his wife, Leina. He has since come back to Nashville, to work with Strategic Hospitality as chef of their French concept, Le Sel, then as part of the team of chefs at Bastion.

Leina Lea grew up in a California restaurant family and opted for hospitality over a pre-med degree from NYU. She managed front of house at NYC's Ace and Thompson Hotels before shifting to cooking in California, including stints at Red Medicine and Petit Trois. In Nashville, she served as The Catbird Seat's sous chef before joining her husband at Bastion.

In March 2023, they opened Kisser in partnership with Strategic Hospitality. Their second restaurant, Babychan, is coming soon in Summer 2025.