IMAGES COURTESY BRYNN SMITH + KIMBERLY MOTOS
Behind every neighborhood favorite is a story—and in the case of Pastaria Vivi, it begins in some of the country’s most acclaimed kitchens.
After years in fine dining, founders Brandon Jennings and Will Treff brought their experience to Encinitas with a Italian specialty market and pasta counter built around exceptional ingredients, thoughtful hospitality, and the belief that world-class food should feel approachable enough for a Tuesday night dinner at home.
In this edition of The Local Edit, Brandon and Will share why Encinitas felt like the right place to put down roots, the philosophy behind their tip-free model, the lessons they carried with them from Michelin-starred kitchens, and what they hope Pastaria Vivi becomes for the North County community.
Between the two of you, you’ve worked in some of the world’s most acclaimed kitchens. What made this the right time—and Encinitas the right place—to create Pastaria Vivi?
Honestly, it came down to family and community. The fine-dining world gave us incredible training, but it isn’t kind to work-life balance, and we both reached a point where we wanted to build something of our own—something we could be truly in charge of, that let us give back to our families and put down roots. Will had been making fresh pasta as a cottage operation during the pandemic, and when we started talking it just clicked: his passion for pasta and dough, paired with my background in Italian and Mediterranean cooking. Encinitas was the right place because it’s home now, and because North County has this beautiful mix of families and neighbors who genuinely care about quality and where their food comes from. We’re right in the heart of it, and it felt like exactly the community we wanted to cook for. – Brandon
Pastaria Vivi feels like much more than a pasta shop. What kind of experience do you hope people have when they walk through the door?
We want it to feel welcoming and completely unpretentious—somewhere you can grab fresh pasta and sauce to cook at home, pull up a seat at our communal table, or just browse the market and discover something new. The idea is to bring Michelin-caliber technique into an everyday setting, so a family can bring that same quality into their own kitchen without it feeling fussy or out of reach. More than anything, we hope people leave feeling like they were taken care of, and like this is a place in the neighborhood that’s genuinely theirs. – Brandon & Will
One thing that stands out about Pastaria Vivi is your decision to operate as a tip-free establishment. What led to that decision, and what do you hope it changes—for both your team and your guests?
We’ve both spent our whole careers in this industry, and we’ve seen how unpredictable a tip-based income can be for the people doing the work. We wanted to build something more stable and fair—where our team earns a dependable, living wage they can actually plan their lives around, rather than income that swings from shift to shift. For our guests, it removes the guesswork and pressure; the price you see is the price you pay, and you know you’re supporting a team that’s being paid well. We hope it reflects the kind of workplace we always wished we’d had, and a hospitality experience that feels honest on both sides of the counter. – Brandon & Will
You’ve both spent years in Michelin-starred restaurants. What’s one lesson from those kitchens that still influences the way you approach Pastaria Vivi today?
For me (Will), it’s a philosophy I’ve carried for years: less is more. When your ingredients are exceptional, your job is to respect them and get out of the way—not to overcomplicate things. That’s exactly how we approach our pasta, milling flour fresh and building sauces in small batches so the quality speaks for itself. And from all those years in fine dining, the deeper lesson is that discipline and consistency are what earn trust—doing the small things right, every single day, whether anyone’s watching or not. – Will
Where’s a North County spot you keep finding yourselves returning to—and why?
A couple we keep coming back to. Tanner’s Prime Burgers in Oceanside is a go-to—Brandon Rogers is doing incredible things with Brandt Beef, and there’s something we really respect about a chef of that caliber pouring everything into a perfect, unpretentious burger. It’s proof that quality and everyday food aren’t mutually exclusive, which is exactly the spirit we’re chasing at Vivi. And Atelier Manna in Leucadia is another favorite—thoughtful, seasonal cooking done with real care. Both are places run by people who genuinely love their craft, and that’s the kind of company we’re proud to keep in this community. – Brandon & Will
Looking ahead five years, what do you hope people say about Pastaria Vivi?
We hope people say it became a real part of the fabric of the community—a place they trust for a great meal at home and a spot that treats its team and its neighbors right. We’d love for Vivi to be known as somewhere that raised the bar on quality while staying genuinely accessible and welcoming. And we have ambitions to grow thoughtfully from here, so ideally people would see this first shop as the start of something that kept giving back to North County. – Brandon & Will
After years in fine dining, how has your definition of success evolved?
For a long time, success in this industry was measured in accolades—the star, the review, the prestige of the room you were cooking in. What we’ve come to realize is that the version of success that actually matters is being able to do work we’re proud of while building a life and a team we care about. Now success looks like a regular who comes in every week, a team member who can build a stable career with us, and a community that feels a little more connected because we’re here. It’s less about the spotlight and more about the day-to-day. – Will
What makes North County a place you wanted to build in?
North County has this rare combination of a genuine community feel and neighbors who really appreciate craftsmanship and good food. There’s a strong culture of supporting local makers and small businesses here, and families that care about quality and where their food comes from. Encinitas specifically felt like home the moment we landed here—it’s where we’ve chosen to raise our family, and building something for the very community we live in makes all of this so much more meaningful. – Brandon
Connect with Brandon Jennings & William Treff / Pastaria Vivi
Pastaria Vivi Website
Pastari Vivi Instagram
119 N El Camino Real, Suite G Encinitas, CA. 92024
