Original Joe’s has brought its nearly 90-year Bay Area restaurant legacy to Walnut Creek, and the community has responded enthusiastically. At the heart of the family-owned restaurant is a simple philosophy: comforting food, warm hospitality and a place where generations can gather around the table. We speak with siblings Elena and John Duggan, the owners of this third-generation, family-owned and operated Italian-American restaurant.
Q: First, can you tell us a little more about the butter cake? It was absolutely delicious and definitely one of the standout dishes of the night.
Elena: The Joe's Warm Butter Cake is definitely a fan favorite. It first debuted in 2016 when we opened Original Joe's Westlake in Daly City, and it didn't take long for it to become one of our most popular menu items. It's the ultimate comfort food – warm buttery cake with vanilla gelato and chocolate sauce. You really can't go wrong. It also just fits who we are. We like to keep things simple, comforting, and made for sharing around the table, and the Butter Cake checks all those boxes. No celebration at Joe's is complete without one.
Q: We'd also love to know more about how Original Joe's chose Walnut Creek as one of its expansion locations. What stood out about the community or market here?
John: Our family has been part of the Bay Area restaurant community for nearly 90 years, ever since our grandfather opened Original Joe's in San Francisco's Tenderloin in 1937. Elena and I have watched the restaurants become part of the fabric of both the North Beach (SF) and Westlake (Daly City) neighborhoods, serving generations of families. That's something we never take for granted. When we started thinking about where to grow next, Walnut Creek stood out right away. There's a strong connection to San Francisco, but it's also an incredibly vibrant, multigenerational community. It just felt like the right fit.
What makes Joe’s special is that neighborhood clubhouse feeling – a place where people gather for anything, from big celebrations to casual weeknight dinners, and where you’ll be welcomed back by name. We really felt like Walnut Creek would not only appreciate that, but truly embrace it.
Q: One thing we couldn't help but notice was how busy the restaurant was—especially for a Tuesday night. Many Walnut Creek restaurants tend to be a bit sleepier during the week, yet the restaurant was really going off. What do you attribute that success to?
John: The response from Walnut Creek and the greater East Bay has been incredible. We're honestly just grateful. Opening any new restaurant is a leap of faith, and even more so in a market where you're the new kid on the block. At the end of the day, we think it comes down to a combination of great hospitality, a welcoming atmosphere, and consistently good food. More than anything, we want people to feel like they're walking into our home – that they're truly part of the Joe's family.
One of my favorite things is hearing longtime guests from North Beach or Westlake walk in and say, "It feels like Joe's." That's the greatest compliment we could receive. It tells us we've stayed true to who we are while bringing Joe's to a new community.
Q: And finally, what has been the best part of being in Walnut Creek and becoming part of the Walnut Creek community?
Elena: Without a doubt, it's the people. From day one, we've felt so welcomed by the Walnut Creek community. We hoped this would be the right next chapter for Original Joe's, but the support we've received has been beyond anything we could have imagined. It already feels like we’re getting to know our regulars, and that’s what Joe’s has always been about – being part of our guests’ lives for generations, celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and all the moments in between. We hope, over time, we’ll have the privilege of sharing those same milestones with families here in Walnut Creek. We always say we serve more than food, and seeing this community embrace that has been incredibly meaningful. We couldn't ask for a better place to call home.