The Team
Brian Light | Executive Chef & Owner
Brian was born in Venezuela, and was raised between there, Colombia, and Houston, Texas. Both sides of his family are close-knit; he enjoyed many meals at his grandparent’s houses while growing up between the States and South America. While Brian was young, his grandfather used to always say, “every family needs a chef.” With that in his subconscious, Brian began working in restaurants at 16. A graduate of the University of Houston, Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management, Brian then learned to cook by working in distinguished kitchens across America. Aries in Houston, Morimoto in Philadelphia, and Tramonto’s in Chicago all trained him in traditional French and Japanese techniques. After coming to College Station to work at The Republic as the Executive Chef and meeting his wife, they opened Ronin in 2012. On their family farm, he has forged a connection with farming and raising animals. He regularly discusses how farming has informed his cooking on so many levels. Brian strives to bridge the gap between farmers, professional kitchen, and community in creating a fine dining experience with approachable, seasonal food.
Amanda Light | Owner & Operations
Born in a hurricane, Amanda moved between Florida, Texas, and Louisiana. She was raised in the professional baseball industry with a father who continues to place immense importance on guest service and experience, and a mother who always readily opens their home for friends, familiar and new. Hospitality became second nature. She began working in customer service in 1999 for the Round Rock Express, a Minor League Baseball team, while also working at restaurants in in the Austin area. She attended Texas A&M University, College of Liberal Arts, earning a B.A. in Women’s & Gender Studies. She met Brian in 2008 while working in the front of the house of The Republic. Their mutual curiosity for traveling and eating well lead to a marriage and eventually a business partnership. Since 2012 when Ronin was opened, Amanda has operated their businesses in the roles of public relations, event design and coordination, marketing/advertising, web design, accounting, front of house and employee management. She recently passed her Level 1 Exam with the Court of Master Sommeliers, and is currently studying for her Level 2. She takes great joy in connecting people over a hearty meal of farm foods in the restaurant and at celebrations alike.
