The Huntington Beach City Council appointed Andrew Gruel, a celebrity chef and conservative political commentator, to a vacant seat on the city’s self-described, all-MAGA council.
Who is Andrew Gruel?
He was a judge on the Food Network’s Food Truck Face Off and founder of the fast casual seafood chain Slapfish. He currently owns several restaurants in Orange County.
Why it matters
The self-described MAGA City Council of Huntington Beach has positioned itself as the antithesis of California’s liberal state government. The once laid-back beach city is battling with Sacramento over housing, gender identity rules and library censorship, among other issues. Deep political divides have led to City Council meetings marked by protests, heckling and sometimes even police action — authorities had to clear the room at one point on Tuesday night to settle things down.
What’s Gruel’s political vibe?
Gruel was a vocal critic of COVID-19 lock downs. He says the state opened a labor investigation into his restaurants in retaliation.
He’s a frequent guest on Fox News. In a recent segment on Greg Gutfeld’s talk show, when the topic turned to DEI, Gruel joked that he had to send in the DNA of his wife and business co-owner, Lauren Gruel, proving she’s “part-Mexican, part-Spanish in order to cook paella and tacos.”
What’s next?
Gruel will serve through 2026 — the remainder of the term left open by Tony Strickland, who recently won a seat in the California state Senate.
How to get involved
- Huntington Beach holds City Council meetings on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 2000 Main St.
- You can also watch meetings remotely on HBTV via Channel 3 or online, or via the city’s website (you can also find videos of previous council meetings there).
- The public comment period happens toward the beginning of meetings.
- The city generally posts agendas for City Council meetings on the previous Friday. You can find the agenda on the city’s calendar or sign up there to have agendas sent to your inbox.
