Chef Sabrina Tinsley
Running a restaurant profitably today is a challenge that tests every ounce of a chef’s creativity, resilience, and business acumen. Food costs are volatile, staffing is uncertain, and guest expectations are sky-high. But some chefs find a way not just to survive, but to build something lasting. Osteria la Spiga in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood is one such story. And Chef Sabrina Tinsley is the force behind it.
“I always knew I wanted to create food that was personal, rooted, and honest,” Tinsley said. “But I also knew the only way to make that sustainable was to be disciplined about how we run the business.” That balance of culinary artistry and operational precision has shaped la Spiga into a mainstay on the Seattle dining scene since it opened its doors in 1998.
The road to la Spiga started long before that, in Fairbanks, Alaska, where Tinsley grew up surrounded by the rugged abundance of the land. “My mother cooked a lot of hearty meals with ingredients from our garden and from hunting and fishing,” Tinsley added. “Those early experiences gave me an understanding of seasonality and how to respect what you’re cooking.” It wasn’t just about putting food on the table. It was about knowing where it came from and how to use it with care.
Years later, while living in Europe, she fell in love with the cuisine of Emilia-Romagna—and with her husband and future business partner, Pietro. The flavors of Northern Italy left a deep mark. “Everything was so intentional and expressive,” she noted. “The ingredients weren’t overworked. They were celebrated.” That ethos became the cornerstone of la Spiga: simple, high-quality ingredients, treated well and served with authenticity.
That’s easier said than done. The modern foodservice environment is complex. Ingredients are expensive. Skilled labor is hard to find and even harder to retain. And diners expect not just good food, but consistency, experience, and service. To thrive under these pressures, a restaurant needs more than passion—it needs strategy.
For Tinsley, that starts with the menu. “The menu is your identity,” she continued. “You have to decide who you are, what you stand for, and then find the right ingredients to support that vision.” Creating a signature menu means choosing a core set of dishes that reflect the restaurant’s values and flavors, then building supplier relationships that ensure those dishes can be executed every day, at scale.
Sourcing is a huge part of that. It’s not just about quality—though that matters immensely—it’s also about consistency, pricing, and logistics. “You can have the best menu on paper,” Tinsley detailed, “but if you can’t get the right product when you need it, you’ll end up compromising.”
To develop a strong sourcing strategy, restaurant operators should start by asking three questions: What ingredients define our concept? What are our non-negotiables? And what are our cost ceilings?
From there, the next step is to research suppliers who specialize in those types of products. Vetting should include quality testing, reviewing logistics and minimums, transparency about sourcing practices, and a clear understanding of cost tiers.
For la Spiga, that supplier has long been Chefs’ Warehouse. “I’ve been a customer since 1999,” Tinsley outlined. “They’ve always had the rare, authentic Italian ingredients I need—Prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano-Reggiano, quality balsamic, cured meats, the specialty flours we use for pasta. That’s the backbone of our menu.”
Beyond the staples, Chefs’ Warehouse has supported la Spiga through seasonal menu shifts and new creations. Tinsley looks forward to products like the Xtraordinary White shrimp and chemical-free calamari every spring, which she features in pasta specials and seafood medleys. “They’re always fresh, always clean, and they help us bring the season to the plate,” she said.
That reliability has allowed la Spiga to maintain an identity over time. It’s also freed up the space for Tinsley to focus on mentorship and innovation. She created a program called Future of Diversity to spotlight emerging chefs of color in a real restaurant environment. “I’ve had chefs come back and tell me that getting a shot at running a pop-up here changed the way they saw their future,” Tinsley added. “It gave them vision.”
Vision is something Tinsley has plenty of. But it’s paired with operational discipline and smart partnerships. “Chefs’ Warehouse has made it possible for us to do what we do,” she concluded. “When you have a supplier who understands your standards and can meet them consistently, it makes everything else possible.”
Restaurant and foodservice operators who want to build a program like la Spiga’s—from creating a signature menu to sourcing ingredients that meet the highest standards—can reach out to Chefs’ Warehouse (chefswarehouse.com) to develop a customized sourcing and menu planning strategy.
Dining and Cooking