Since Salt Creek Grille announced its closure on Jan. 14 after 27 years of serving the Dana Point community and visitors, locals Jess Walker, Jeff Roberts, Steve Vanderweide, Eric Hawkey, Reggie Robinson and Sri Divel have banded together to breathe new life into the restaurant.
“It’s a local icon in Dana Point,” said Walker, a real estate developer. “We remember all the way back to when it was Five Crowns and when it became Salt Creek Grille, and there's just so much history here when it comes to wedding venues and engagements and baby showers and things of that nature.”
When the restaurant closed its doors earlier this year, the group, comprising six local building and hospitality experts, “did everything we could to resurrect this name,” Walker said.
“Really, it’s the name and location, and the history and the values that come behind it is really where the passion of us lies,” Walker said. “If it was any other restaurant, I don’t think that we would even be interested, honestly.”
The new owners aim to keep the iconic structure of the restaurant the same, Walker said, calling the renovations a “refresh.”
“We're trying to keep a lot of the historic values on the exterior,” Walker said. “We are redoing the patio, and so it'll be absolutely gorgeous.”
“We're redoing a bar area, creating a new lounge area in the bar, redoing the event room and then all the booths and flooring and really just overhauling the entire process,” Walker continued.
While the bar will undergo extensive changes, Salt Creek Grille’s oval bar will remain the same shape, Divel noted in an email.
In addition to new California Coastal Cuisine menu items, former Salt Creek Grille regulars will recognize some of the customer favorite items returning to the menu, Walker said, as the new owners are “respecting the original steakhouse that it was.”
Walker added that for those who were unable to use their gift cards at Salt Creek Grille before it closed, the restaurant would be honoring all existing gift cards when it reopens.
When the Dana Point restaurant reopens under new management – there are other SCG franchises still operated by the previous owner in Valencia, California and New Jersey – Walker noted that he hopes patrons can “reconnect to the original historic value” and enjoy the culinary experience.
Walker added the group comprises “super-passionate family people” who want the restaurant to be “a family experience.”
“Our team is just amazing,” Walker said. “Jeff Roberts is amazing, super-connected with the community. He owns Sgt. Pepperoni’s and just been involved in the community forever.”
“Steve Vanderweide is amazing,” Walker continued. “He has a passion for culinary as well.”
If it weren’t for Divel, Walker added, the team wouldn’t be so well-positioned to reopen Salt Creek Grille, as she responded to Walker reaching out to the previous ownership about reviving the restaurant.
Vanderweide and Roberts will lead operations, while Walker and Hawkey will oversee construction and modernization of the restaurant. Robinson will serve as general manager, and Divel will lead marketing efforts.
The new owners are currently working through the permitting process for structural renovations with the hope of reopening Salt Creek Grille in June, Walker said.