By Collin Breaux | Twitter: @collin_breaux
When restaurateurs Archie Hami and Marc Resnick wanted to introduce their new enterprise, The Rooftop Cafe & Bar, to the San Juan Capistrano neighborhood, they decided to do it on a large day—the Swallows Working day Parade on March 12.
The longtime good friends, who have additional than 50 many years of merged practical experience in the cafe business, held a constrained VIP soft opening for their new restaurant, which ended up promoting out of tickets. The business associates hope circumstances will be similarly type when they have a grand general public opening on April 16.
“We want anything that’s a small different—a small little bit of San Juan Capistrano. We required a really cabin, woody come to feel,” Hami mentioned. “We wanted something far more of the American consolation cuisine, with a fashionable twist to it.”
The Rooftop lives up to its identify, with open up-air seating that provides a bird’s eye view of downtown. The restaurant is positioned at the former Ruby’s Diner spot earlier mentioned Selma’s Chicago Pizzeria & Tap Room, just across the road from Swallow’s Inn. Some smaller patio tables have many seats positioned all around them, making it possible for for personal group gatherings.
Menu things consist of chicken pot pies, meatloaf, and shishito peppers, which have a tangy flavor from vinaigrette seasoning.
“We want to provide the new environment and the outdated entire world together, give them some reminiscences of what they have been having when they had been more youthful or what they ended up cooking for their kids—and at the exact same time, a single of the greatest sights of San Juan,” Hami reported.
The two are Orange County locals. Resnick attended Dana Hills Higher School and now lives in Laguna Niguel, even though Hami life in Lake Forest. Their paths tended to cross in the restaurant market, so they made the decision to go into enterprise with each other in San Juan.
“I’ve generally been in the bar scene and economic advising team. Marc is the advertising genius powering every little thing,” Hami explained of their enterprise practical experience. “He’s one particular of the most related individuals I know. He understands virtually everybody. He grew up listed here.”
Resnick, who’s 45, laughs that he commenced promoting pretzels at the Mission Viejo shopping mall when he was 15.
“I’ve owned and operated eating places. I’ve opened several places for unique new openings,” Resnick claimed. “I’ve worked in the lodge aspect. Been there, done it.”
The two remarked on how San Juan has developed from when they ended up kids. Hami remembers going to Mission San Juan Capistrano when he was younger and how there was “nothing” all over.
“Growing up down in this article, you would move as a result of San Juan,” Resnick mentioned. “It was by no means a spot place. Now, you glance at what is going on in Dana Point with the harbor it is a location location.”
Hami and Resnick minimized seating capability in the cafe immediately after obtaining the property to give the space additional breathing area for consumers.
“We’re seeking to give an knowledge, along with the meals and drinks,” Hami mentioned. “You can sit out more than in this article, whether or not it’s a first day or anniversary. It is an knowledge we want people today to go property with. They can sit outdoors and love the temperature.”
The Rooftop is also aiming to be a tunes venue as perfectly, with dwell songs prepared for the restaurant—including for the grand opening on April 16, which will attribute Yachty by Nature and other functions.
The place The Rooftop now sits truly utilised to be a community collecting place called Woodman’s Hall, according to Resnick. He and Hami want to pay out homage to that thought of getting a location where by individuals can hang out on a Friday night time just after get the job done.
“We’re a dining knowledge. We’re a ingesting expertise. We’re a patio practical experience,” Resnick reported. “We needed to be correct in amongst the two. That’s our specialized niche, which is what I imagine San Juan demands, for the reason that you go from extremes.”
Hami and Resnick scouted several opportunity buildings when searching for the ideal location, and the downtown spot higher than Selma’s was the initial just one they examined.
“We were pretty, really privileged. This cafe was a Ruby’s Diner for 30 decades,” Resnick mentioned. “The idea is, we want to have the young ones cycle through and do the job for us as adolescents and have their kids get the job done for us. We want to carry on the tradition that Joe Campbell experienced here, the place it was just a household location.”
Stop by rooftopoc.com for more facts.
Collin Breaux
Collin Breaux addresses San Juan Capistrano and other South Orange County information as the City Editor for The Capistrano Dispatch. Ahead of shifting to California, he lined Hurricane Michael, politics and schooling in Panama City, Florida. He can be achieved by e-mail at [email protected].
