¿CóMO? Taperia Names Sean Grady as New General Manager

The Goods from ¿CóMO? Taperia

Vancouver, BC | ¿CóMO? Taperia (201 E 7th Ave), Mount Pleasant’s award-winning Spanish tapas destination, has recently appointed rising front-of-house talent Sean Grady as its new general manager.

Previous to rejoining ¿CóMO? Taperia’s team this year, Grady oversaw private dining operations at acclaimed L’Abattoir, where he worked for nearly five years – moving up from food runner to private dining room manager.

“Sean has been an incredible part of Como’s team since 2023, and we’re excited to have him step into this leadership role,” says Shaun Layton, co-owner of ¿CóMO? Taperia. “He knows exactly how to continue creating and furthering the lively, fun tapas bar experience Como is known for. He brings great energy to our team.”

Born and raised in Kelowna, Grady got his start in hospitality at just 14 years old, washing dishes at Raudz Regional Table before spending time at Mission Hill Family Estate. After moving to Vancouver, he joined the team at L’Abattoir, where he grew into a management position before joining Como Taperia in 2023. After a brief stint in Eastern Canada, he returned to Vancouver and Como.

Grady, who grew up in the industry, brings a thoughtful and guest-focused approach to his work, crediting his mentors at L’Abattoir (including previous chef-owner Lee Cooper and previous general manager Chad Clark) for inspiring the professional he is today.

“Como has had such an all-star lineup of general managers and AGM’s who have shaped the restaurant I love so much,” says Grady. “It has such a strong identity, and that’s something I want to maintain. I want every guest to experience Como the way I did for the first time – with that same sense of warmth and excitement. Vancouver’s restaurant scene moves so fast, and I want people to know exactly what to expect when they come here.”

Some of Grady’s go-tos on the current menu include: the Iberico Lardo with dates and walnut, which he says is “forever my favourite, and one of the best bites in Vancouver, hands down”; the Bikini Sandwich, which he eats maybe three to four times a week; and to drink, magnums of a Solera-style Verdejo from Bodegas Menade in Rueda, which Grady calls “ a knockout” with lots of structure and dried-fruit flavours.

On way he loves the hospitality industry, Grady notes, “I love that there is rarely a black-and-white way to succeed in this business – there is no formula for how to make people feel special in a restaurant. You can study hospitality in school, but the real emotionally fulfilling moments in this job come from being really good at being yourself.”

¿CóMO? Taperia is open daily from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. with Happy Hour specials between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. Limited dinner reservations are available online via Resy. For more information, please visit www.comotaperia.com.