Restaurant Group

This one started pretty organically. Our current Stoble chef and our cafe manager both had restaurant concepts they’d been wanting to pursue, and we had the resources to help make it happen. So we are.

What’s in the works

Right now we’re working on Other Half and Dan & Mimi’s, both opening at our Humboldt & Willow development. Each one has its own identity and vision — driven by the people who are actually going to be running them.

Steward ownership

The restaurant group is set up as a steward-owned business, which means the people running the restaurants have full control over the concepts and how they operate. We’re providing financial support to get things off the ground, but we’re not calling the shots on menus, branding, or day-to-day decisions. That’s theirs.

The steward-ownership model also means they can build a sustainable business and focus on things like profit sharing for employees — the kind of stuff that’s hard to prioritize when you’re answering to outside investors.

Why restaurants?

Because a great restaurant is more than just food. It’s where you meet your neighbors, celebrate birthdays, have a bad day and feel a little better because someone made you a really good sandwich. Neighborhoods with good local restaurants just… work better. We want more of that in Chico.