Rendering of Original Joe's Walnut Creek location. (Original Joe's )
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - A San Francisco institution is finally making its East Bay debut this week.
What we know:
Original Joe’s is having its long-awaited grand opening on Thursday at its new Walnut Creek location.
It’s the first to open on this side of the Bay in the restaurant’s nearly 90-year history.
The opening comes amid much anticipation in the Walnut Creek restaurant scene, with the new business launching with fanfare and celebration.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Thursday morning, with members the Duggan family, Original Joe’s owners, to be on hand for the event.
Walnut Creek’s mayor, Cindy Darling, is also slated to be in attendance.
The new Italian-American restaurant sits in the city’s bustling Broadway Plaza shopping district, on South Main and Broadway Plaza streets across from Macy’s.
Original Joe's has another location in San Francisco’s historic North Beach neighborhood and one at its Westlake location in Daly City.
There is also a longstanding Original Joe's in San Jose, though it is under a different ownership than the San Francisco, Westlake and now Walnut Creek locations.
Dig deeper:
The new restaurant takes over a previously existing, remodeled building, according to the Walnut Creek Community Development Department.
The construction included adding a new second-floor space and an outdoor dining area.
What we don't know:
It’s unclear if the project took longer than expected to complete.
KTVU covered the plans for the Walnut Creek location back in February and shared reports that the opening could come as early as spring, though there was no definite date set at the time.
Back in April, the city issued a press release celebrating the upcoming opening of the new Walnut Creek Original Joe’s, saying the famous restaurant would contribute to the area as a dining and economic hub.
"Original Joe’s, the iconic San Francisco Italian American restaurant, selected a prominent corner space in the plaza for its first East Bay location, drawn by the area's strong foot traffic and ideal location," the city said. "Owners John and Elena Duggan recognized the retail center’s potential, joining a growing list of restaurateurs capitalizing on Broadway Plaza’s estimated six million annual visitors and revitalized energy."
San Francisco institution
The backstory:
The family-run business is steeped in history.
Original Joe's was founded by Croatian immigrant Tony Rodin, who came to the States in search of the American dream, leaving behind his homeland, where he witnessed hunger and war, according to the restaurant's website.
Rodin would strike a partnership with Louis Rocca that lasted 40 years.
SEE ALSO: Enclos opens in Sonoma with focus on sustainability
The original Original Joe's opened in 1937 on Taylor Street in the city’s Tenderloin neighborhood.
The Daly City location opened in 1956.
In 1983, Rocca sold his share of the business to Rodin’s daughter, Marie, and son-in-law, John J. Duggan.
In 2007, a fire destroyed the San Francisco Taylor Street restaurant, prompting a new site to go up in the city's North Beach neighborhood five years later.
The iconic three-generation family-run business has now expanded its footprint and is set to serve up the signature old-school, Italian-American fare it's known for, starting a new chapter in its long history.
This browser does not support the Video element.
A16 team brings new restaurant to Ferry Building, marking full comeback for landmark
Lucania, a new Italian restaurant from the team behind A16, is set to open in the San Francisco Ferry Building in 2026.