Ryan Shelton, Chef | Owner

Though born in the Bay Area, Ryan began his career in Southern California, soaking up world culinary knowledge from stints at various bistros featuring everything from Vietnamese to French to Indian cuisine. He cut his teeth in fine dining and pastry at the Ritz Carlton, Laguna Niguel before joining a team that would go on to earn two Michelin Stars at Baumé Restaurant with Ryan as Chef de Cuisine. He enjoyed stints as Executive Chef of several restaurants throughout the greater Bay from Santa Cruz to San Francisco, where as Chef of Verbena in Russian Hill, he decided to finally “put down roots” in The City and open Merchant Roots. Ryan is a passionate chef with a proud Italian heritage, who has spent his career honing his skills. He is is devoted to handmade pasta, charcuterie, and all things sweet.

JJ Chan, Chef de Cuisine

While he has always loved food (especially his Korean grandma’s jjigae stew) JJ Chan did not set out to be a chef. Born and raised in the East Bay, he attended Hercules High School and enrolled in college but didn’t know what path he wanted to pursue, so he opted to join the military and became a U.S. Marine, working on and operating tactical vehicles. After serving, JJ returned to civilian life where he explored culinary work by staging in fine dining restaurant kitchens.

When the pandemic caused the restaurant industry to hit pause, JJ committed to learning more about the craft. He taught himself how to cultivate koji, dry age fish, and make perfectly puffed rice, and he tested his developing talent through a series of pop-up dinners. Post-pandemic, JJ decided to hone his skills via stints at highly respected restaurants, including Michelin-starred Avery San Francisco, where he became chef/owner Rodney Wages’ right hand man and traveled with him to Scotland to open Avery Edinburgh.

JJ finds that self discipline, integrity, and accountability are essential qualities of a cook. He loves the energy of being part of a collaborative unit like Merchant Roots.

Christine Hirtzel, General Manager | Wine Director 

An early fascination with studying people in their historic, cultural, and social context led Christine to earn an anthropology degree from Vassar College. And while anthropology and cuisine are on seemingly different ends of the spectrum, Christine finds plenty of parallels between the two subjects: They engage rituals and processes, rely on a strong shared culture, depend on communication as a critical component of survival, and require curiosity to fuel evolution and innovation.

A native San Franciscan, Christine got her start at beloved neighborhood sister restaurants Pizzetta 211 and Pearl, then progressed on to cook at refined, chef-driven restaurants, working for Chef Melissa Perello at Octavia and Chef Alexander Hong at Sorrel before joining Chef Ryan Shelton and the Merchant Roots team.

Christine not only cooks but also manages the restaurant’s wine program, where she curates interesting and nuanced wine pairings for each course of the restaurant’s themed tasting menus. She celebrates being fully immersed in the truly collaborative, genuine nature of Merchant Roots.