Becoming a restaurant owner was never in my plans, but life had a different path in store for me. Surrendering to the unexpected turned out to be a powerful journey.

The story began in August 2019 when a restaurant owner in Manteca approached Marilu with an enticing proposition to feature her desserts on their menu. I encouraged her to seize the opportunity, but she needed a commercial kitchen for compliance purposes.

Around the same time, a small restaurant specializing in sandwiches and soups, located at 115 E Main St, was up for sale. It was an investing opportunity to get Marilu the commercial kitchen she needed. The purchase was finalized in October 2019 and we started our journey.

The original intention was to turn the location into a bakery, the plans took a turn with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Marilu adapted, offering to-go dinners that were warmly received by our community.

A few months later, the owner of the bar at 111 E Main St reached out. Kara need to offer food to comply with California's COVID-19 regulations for bars, so I told her “let’s get you opened.” We collaborated for several months until she decided to relocate to Tennessee. Once again, the universe conspired in my favor, leading to another fortuitous turn of events and I became a restaurant and wine bar owner.

The journey has had its share of ups and downs, with the challenges of navigating a new trade followed by COVID, then recession. But we are grateful for the opportunities that have come our way, the lessons we've learned, and most importantly, the incredible team we've assembled, the wonderful people we've met, and the guests who have become like family.

Throughout this journey, we've heard heartwarming childhood stories and been entrusted with difficult adulthood tales. We've provided a shoulder to cry on for some and celebrated victories with others. We’ve even been among the first to know of a pregnancy and were trusted with the joyful task to bear the news to the fortunate grandparents to-be.

While the struggles have been real, they pale in comparison to the immense joys we've experienced. We are humbled and grateful to be a part of this amazing community, sharing in its stories, and being a place where memories are made and cherished.

In the end, our restaurant journey has shown me the incredible power of surrendering to the unknown, allowing it to shape our lives in ways we could have never anticipated. For this, I am very grateful.

Thank you, and love you!

Judith