Gott’s Roadside serves “American roadside classics,” through the lens of wine country. | Photo courtesy of Gott’s Roadside.
It’s time for Gott’s Roadside to make its move.
Born in the Napa Valley as a better burger joint with a wine-country menu, the fast-casual concept has eight locations, all in the San Francisco Bay Area. For many, it’s a must-eat regional destination for visitors, like going to Burgerville in the Pacific Northwest or Whataburger in Texas.
But now—finally—Gott’s is moving to Southern California. At least the operators of the chain plan to next year.
Clay Walker, Gott’s president, said Gott’s will be opening in late 2025 in Los Angeles’ historic Farmers Market, a food hall-like collection of restaurants and shops that is adjacent to The Grove, an outdoor lifestyle mall.
This is a huge jump for a brand like Gott’s, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
It’s actually technically older than that. The restaurant was originally founded in 1949 as Taylor’s Refresher, a roadside burger joint on what was then a very rural crossroad (Highway 29) in St. Helena, California, the heart of Napa Valley’s wine region.
In 1999, brothers Joel and Duncan Gott, who were from a winemaking family, acquired the restaurant. In 2006, it even won a James Beard Foundation award as an American Classic.
Later, there were some trademark complications with the Taylor’s Refresher name as the company started to expand. In 2010, the concept was rebranded as Gott’s Roadside. (A lawsuit filed by descendants of the founder challenging the name change was settled in 2012.)
The original restaurant was born in what became a true hotbed of fine dining, with fabulous wine-focused restaurants aplenty all around it. Gott’s, meanwhile, was designed to be an alternative—a place for a simple burger and fries, or salad, what Walker calls “American roadside classics.” The ingredients are premium, but the setting is casual with an indoor-outdoor picnic vibe, and prices are relatively low.
And the menu is broad. In addition to burgers, fries and shakes, there are tacos, hot dogs and sandwiches like chicken schnitzel topped with arugula herb salad, cucumber and pickled turnips with harissa and turmeric-spiced mayo, with a price point roughly between $13 and $19, which Walker describes as “the high of the low and the low of the high.”
Gott’s Roadside in St. Helena, California. | Photo courtesy of Gott’s Roadside.
Not surprisingly, there’s a good selection of wine and beer, both draft and by the bottle or can. And there are seasonal options that take advantage of local ingredients, like the Dungeness crab sandwich with Meyer lemon aioli and scallions on a toasted brioche; or a lobster BLT.
After opening the eighth unit in San Francisco in 2021, next to the stadium where the Warriors play, Gott’s has been in somewhat of a holding pattern for growth.
All units are company owned (except one licensed location at San Francisco International Airport), and growth has been funded by cash flow and private investment.
The company has no private equity or venture funding to date, although there have been offers, he said. “Too many strings attached to that money,” said Walker. “We like to be in charge.”
Still, he admits, Gott’s doesn’t really have a master plan for growth. “It’s really store by store.”
Gott’s is still looking for more locations in the Bay Area, Walker said. But Southern California offers a huge opportunity in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties.
“Of course, we’re not coming down there to open just one restaurant,” he said. “We don’t want to get over our skis. That mistake’s been made so many times. But we’re thrilled, because 75% of the state lives in Southern California.”
A big challenge will be brand awareness, he noted.
“We’re confident that it’s going to be a good fit,” he said. “We get more visitors from Southern California than any out of our market geography.”
It will likely be five years, at least, before the company thinks about moving outside California, Walker said.
“It’s been a rough five years, with the pandemic, the tough economy, inflation, the torture of the elections,” said Walker.
“But we serve comfort food. It’s a happy place,” he added. “What Gott’s does is provide a sanctuary for people to escape the noise of society and come and break bread together. People want to get back to that.”
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Lisa Jennings is a veteran restaurant industry reporter and editor who covers the fast-casual sector, independent restaurants and emerging chain concepts.
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