Gott's Roadside, the Napa Valley roadside stand turned James Beard America's Classic, will open its first coastal location Oct. 2 at the northeast corner of Fourth Street and Wilshire Boulevard, near the Santa Monica Pier and the Third Street Promenade.
The restaurant will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. It is the company's second Los Angeles County location, following a restaurant at the Original Farmers Market that opened March 6.
"We specifically targeted Santa Monica because we wanted to have a coastal location that has name recognition in and of itself, which Santa Monica does," said Clay Walker, president of Gott's Roadside. "But that also has the regional pull power."
Walker said he expects the site to draw customers from as far north as Malibu, as far east as the 405 Freeway and as far south as Marina del Rey.
The Santa Monica restaurant includes a soft-serve counter, group tables, a bar and a heated patio. Walker said the company chose the site for its street frontage, which suits the "breezy indoor outdoor vibe" the concept was founded on in Napa Valley.
"I was actually surprised at how little outdoor patio space there is in LA, given how good the climate is," Walker said.
A glass barrier runs along the arc of the patio, and Walker said a planter filled with beach grass will be installed along its length so diners feel less exposed without blocking sight lines from the street.
The menu spans burgers, chicken tenders, tacos, salads, seafood and seasonal chef specials, with vegetarian and gluten-free-friendly options. Offerings include the Ahi Burger; the California Burger with fried egg, bacon and balsamic onions; a kimchi burger; garlic fries; chili spice-dusted sweet potato fries; and organic hand-spun shakes. Walker said the most popular salad is a Vietnamese chicken salad with a peanut lime vinaigrette.
Beef comes from Cream Co. Meats, chicken from Red Bird Farms and bread from Larder Baking Co. The soft-serve counter offers Straus organic soft serve, frozen yogurt, sundaes and house-made cookies. The bar serves beer and wine only, including Napa wines, craft beer and the chain's signature Frosé. Co-owner Joel Gott, a winemaker, selects the California-focused wine and beer list.
Joel and Duncan Gott took over the St. Helena business in 1999 and have grown it from the original location to include Napa's Oxbow Public Market, San Francisco's Ferry Building and Chase Center, Palo Alto, Walnut Creek, Greenbrae and a licensed stand at San Francisco International Airport.
Walker, a California native who grew up in Woodland Hills, joined the company 13 years ago, when it had three locations. He said Gott's has been exploring Southern California since 2018, driven largely by requests from visitors who wanted a location in their own neighborhoods.
Walker said the company believes Santa Monica is turning a corner from its recent spate of negative headlines and that the business hopes to be part of the reason people return to the city.
“The way we look at things, we like to be located, kind of, at the confluence of where people live, work, and play, wherever we locate ourselves, there's strong residents, there's strong business,” he said. “We really rely on business for weekday lunch, and then residential for weekday dinner and weekends. And then, when I say live, work, and play, play is really what we like about Santa Monica. It's a draw for the rest of Los Angeles County on weekends, because the number one attraction, as far as we can tell, is the beach, and so whether it's the Pier itself, or the sand itself, or the Third Street Promenade, there are lots of draws that bring people to this area from outside of Santa Monica on weekends.”
He said a busy, family-focused restaurant adds life to a prominent downtown corner.
"We all know that healthy foot traffic dilutes unhealthy foot traffic," he said.
Walker acknowledged the challenges of opening a restaurant in the current climate but said they have a plan to expand cautiously. He said Gott's typically opens one or two restaurants at a time and has committed only to its two Los Angeles County locations in the short term.
"We don't want to get over our skis," he said.
In a city crowded with burger restaurants, Walker said Gott's burgers are chargrilled over an open flame rather than cooked on a flat top like a smash burger, and carry a high proportion of vegetables for texture. However, he said the restaurant offers more than just burgers making it appealing to families or groups that want more than just a burger and fries.
Walker said the fast-casual counter-service model gives Gott's flexibility that full-service restaurants lack. The bar lets adults order and eat without waiting in line, and open seating means revenue isn't capped by table turns. Delivery, which the company began during the pandemic, continues to grow, he said, though dining in remains the chain's biggest business.
Walker relocated to Southern California with his family to lead the expansion, and several longtime Northern California managers chose to move with him. He said the focus is to make the restaurant part of the local community.
"Santa Monica is our 100% focus," Walker said. "We're everyday food. We're not special occasion food."