Rachel Debber graduated from Clovis West High School in 2012. Today, she leads the team at Lilo, a 22-seat fine-dining restaurant known for its immersive tasting experience. Photo via CSUSM

A former Clovis West High School student is in elite company in the hospitality industry as the general manager of a newly Michelin-starred restaurant.

Rachel Debber, 30, is general manager at Lilo in Carlsbad. The 22-seat restaurant recently earned a prestigious Michelin star just 10 weeks after opening. It was the San Diego area’s only new Michelin star for 2025.

The restaurant offers an immersive dining experience that highlights the California coast and the world’s shorelines.

Debber’s path out of the Central Valley didn’t start out in restaurants.

“I didn’t even know hospitality could be a real career when I started, but I quickly fell in love with it,” Debber said in an interview with her alma mater.

Debber graduated from Clovis West in 2012, then went on to Cal State San Marcos in North San Diego County to earn her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology.  She was also active in athletics. 

“I didn’t like not being good at something, so I worked hard at lacrosse, that same hunger carried into management. I wanted to be better and I was willing to put in the work,” Debber said.

After graduation, she faced a decision — return home to Fresno to save up for grad school or stay in San Diego and work, according to a feature published by CSU, San Marcos.

After graduating from CSUSM, she became a host at the restaurant Campfire — which she also helped open in 2016. 

From there, Debber continued to work her way up in the service industry, also helping open the restaurant Jeune et Jolie as a bartender, and eventually becoming general manager. Debber has been the general manager at Lilo for just over six months now.

 “What’s most important to me is that we’re providing a unique experience for people, that our books are full every night, and that our team is genuinely happy with what they do,” Debber said. 

Debber said that a lot of people struggled when she entered the hospitality industry. Many people told her that it wasn’t a sustainable career.

Though she never predicted becoming a general manager at a Michelin star restaurant, she credits every twist and turn along the way for helping her grow into the leader today, according to the interview with CSUSM.

“I think the best things in my life have come from saying yes to something that scared me a little, you don’t always have to know exactly where you’re going. Just be open, work hard and trust that it’ll lead somewhere great,” Debber said.