Chef George Sabatino Lands at Rooster Soup Co.

Mike Solomonov’s Rooster Soup Co. just landed a new chef. George Sabatino is joining the retro luncheonette, which celebrated its first birthday last month. Sabatino recently left Aldine, the Rittenhouse restaurant he opened with his wife, Jennifer, in 2014. The couple split and she is keeping the restaurant. He starts his new job as executive chef at Rooster Soup Co. (1526 Sansom Street) on February 15.

Rooster Soup Co. gained national attention when it opened last year with a community-minded mission. The restaurant is a partnership between Federal Donuts (co-owned by Solomonov, Steve Cook, Tom Henneman, Bob Logue, and Felicia D’Ambrosio) and the Broad Street Hospitality Collaborative, which supports Philadelphians dealing with homelessness and food insecurity. Bones left over from Federal Donuts’ fried chicken go into the soup at Rooster, and the restaurant gives all of its profits to Broad Street.

“It’s a matter of accessibility. As a chef, you want as many people to taste your food as possible. At Rooster Soup, we have the opportunity to cook delicious food that is accessible to everyone. Our guests know that the power to bring positive change is actually in their hands,” Sabatino said in a statement.

The chef comes with an impressive résumé. He worked under Marcie Turney at Lolita, Babuzzo, and the now-closed Bindi. He moved over to Stateside on East Passyunk and then to Morgan’s Pier on Penn’s Landing before opening Aldine.

At Rooster Soup Co., Sabatino plans to introduce a new all-day menu during his first month on the job.

• Behold Rooster Soup Co., the Restaurant That Gives Away 100% of Its Profits
• Aldine Loses Its Chef After the Married Owners Split Up