Our Team
chef and sommelier / husband and wife
executive chef / co-owner - JUAN LOPEZ LUNA
Born in Tlaxcala, Mexico, Juan is a first-generation immigrant who left home at 16 in search of a better life. His culinary path began in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, at the Old Yellowstone Garage, where he met his future wife and business partner, Lindsay Brennan.
In 2009, the couple spent a year working in Oaxaca before settling in Montreal, Lindsay’s hometown. Juan trained in some of the city’s top kitchens, including La Salle à Manger and Pizzeria Gemma, before opening Farine in 2015.
In 2018, he realized a dream with the opening of Alma in Outremont. Originally Mediterranean in focus, Alma’s menu evolved in 2022 to reflect Juan’s Mexican heritage, featuring house-nixtamalized heirloom corn and flavours from his childhood. His innovative approach to Mexican cuisine earned him a Prix Lauriers Chef of the Year nomination in 2023, and in 2025, Alma was named “Best Mexican Restaurant Outside of Mexico” by Culinary Mexicana. The restaurant is also on the 50 Best Discovery List and ranked 24th on Canada’s Top 100 Restaurants.
In 2024, Juan and Lindsay launched Terraza Luz, a seasonal taqueria behind Alma celebrating Mexican street food. Their latest ventures include Bar Luz, a “fonda fina” focused on heirloom corn, tacos, and agave spirits, and Molino Luz, opening in fall 2025 to mill corn for their restaurants and for distribution.
front of house / sommelier / co-owner - LINDSAY BRENNAN
Lindsay Brennan is a Montreal-based restaurateur and sommelier, and the founder of Importations Vin i Vida, a wine agency specializing in electric, small-production Catalan and Spanish wines.
An avid skier, Lindsay met her future husband and business partner, Juan, while working evenings at The Old Yellowstone Garage in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. In 2009, the couple moved to Mexico before settling in Montreal—Lindsay’s hometown—in 2011.
Nominated for Best Sommelier at the Lauriers in 2021, 2022, and 2023, Lindsay curates thoughtful, expressive wine lists at Alma and Tinc Set, featuring rare vintages, exclusive cuvées, and wines from her close circle of winemaking friends. The wines she imports often guide the couple’s creative direction, influencing both the spirit and flavor of the food at their restaurants.
At Alma, the menu reflects the vibrant, sunny soul of Lindsay’s wine collection—saline, maritime, and precise—while Juan’s cuisine is crafted to complement and elevate each bottle. Together, they create intimate, welcoming spaces that celebrate artisan wine, seasonal ingredients, and shared stories.