Chef found slain at SF’s Westfield mall worked at posh restaurant

Video: Murder In Stairwell At Westfield San Francisco Centre Shopping Mall

A young man found slain Wednesday in an emergency-exit stairwell at the Westfield San Francisco Centre was a beloved chef at the Michelin-starred restaurant Sons & Daughters in Union Square.

The small restaurant temporarily closed its doors Thursday while employees processed the news that 28-year old Frank Galicia — a line chef and member of a 12-person kitchen crew — was found dead at the downtown San Francisco shopping mall around 10:15 a.m. Wednesday.

Pedestrians on Market Street walk past an entrance to Westfield San Francisco Centre on Friday, September 25, 2015 in San Francisco, Calif. On Wednesday morning, 28-year-old Frank Galicia was found dead at the shopping center and authorities have ruled the death a homicide. less Pedestrians on Market Street walk past an entrance to Westfield San Francisco Centre on Friday, September 25, 2015 in San Francisco, Calif. On Wednesday morning, 28-year-old Frank Galicia was found dead at the ... more Photo: Lea Suzuki, The Chronicle / / Photo: Lea Suzuki, The Chronicle / / Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Chef found slain at SF’s Westfield mall worked at posh restaurant 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

Officials said the death was ruled a homicide, though they would not elaborate on the circumstances, disclose a possible motive or say if any suspects were detained.

“This is really shocking,” said Matt McNamara, a co-owner of Sons & Daughters. “Everyone is trying to process it. Our entire crew, we all hang out together after work and are very much a part of each other’s lives. This has hit our family very deeply.”

Investigators were combing through security video Thursday and interviewing witnesses who were near the Jessie Street alleyway next to Bloomingdale’s when Galicia’s body was discovered.

McNamara described the slain young man as quiet and having a very calm demeanor, adding that Galicia had “a very gentle aura about him.”

“He’s not the kind of guy that would be in a situation like this,” McNamara said.

He said he knew something was wrong on Wednesday when Galicia failed to show up for work. In the roughly one year that he was employed at the popular Bush Street restaurant known for it’s seasonal tasting menu, Galicia was never late.

“That’s not like him at all,” McNamara said.

The restaurant is closed on Monday and Tuesday, so Galicia would not have been at work in the day or two before he was killed.

Sons & Daughters is six blocks from the shopping mall where Galicia was found dead.

All reservations at the restaurant were called off on Thursday. McNamara and co-owner Teague Moriarty — the executive chef — said they would contact grief counselors to meet with their staff and help them process the loss while they work to figure out how to move forward after the tragedy.

Galicia originally came from Los Angeles and soon found his niche as a member of the kitchen. Cooking was his life, and McNamara said he was “deeply passionate about food” at work and in his own time.

“He really cared about what he did every day,” he said. “This is a real loss to the chef community.”

Anyone with information about the death is asked to call San Francisco police at (415) 575-4444.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky