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# The man behind Chez Jay’s
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/the-man-behind-chez-jays/
- Published: 2003-12-29T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T03:25:33.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Business, Downtown, #archive-import

Jay Fiondella owns Chez Jay’s, a popular seaside restaurant and bar in downtown Santa Monica.

Born: August 6, 1926 in East Haven, Connecticut. Residence: Ninth Street apartment. Hobbies: He once made headlines flying hot air balloons, now enjoys traveling and exploring.

Family: Daughter Anita, 52\. Son Chaz, 14\. Restaurant: Seats 71, including the bar. About 15 workers, most of them veteran employees. Fiondella declined to discuss sales numbers. “Just say, ‘We’re doing well,’” he said.

Background: Fiondella fought in WWII before going to law school at the University of Miami. Though he was at the head of his class, he dropped out to move to California and pursue acting in the early 1950s.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 29, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/122903.pdf?ref=smdp.com)