Kitchen Currents: Seattle’s Bad Chancla Restaurant

In both his life and career, José Garzon has become well-practiced in reinvention. A childhood in Guayaquil, Ecuador and the Galapagos, a front man in world-touring punk bands, and now a celebrated U.S. chef and restaurateur, his improbable journey has at many turns demonstrated a hunger for new challenges. Now in his first brick-and-mortar restaurant, Garzon has tackled another one—including adopting an all-electric commercial kitchen—in creating an impressive offering in a small, but bustling eatery in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.

Garzon and Hieber have become proud and excited to be part of this wave of clean energy electrification that is making possible—and reinventing—the way we can more safely power our lives. According to ,the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), renewable energy accounted for a record 90.5% of power additions in the U.S. 2024, largely due to significant growth in solar and wind power. For those concerned about the planet, this parallel movement and thought leadership in the restaurant sector is a sign of real encouragement. 

As Garzon makes clear in the video, this all connects to their goal of making Bad Chancla a vital neighborhood venue—they love the give and take of building relationships, sharing stories, and supporting the community. And part of these conversations is sharing their pride in being members of a cadre of “successful chef driven restaurants opening all electric and creating amazing venues and serving amazing food,” Garzon shared.