Guy Fieri called SLO County restaurant ‘worth a pilgrimage.’ Why did it close?
A San Luis Obispo County restaurant known for its high-quality, home-style meals abruptly shut its doors after nearly a decade in business.
The Spoon Trade’s last day in business was Sunday, Oct. 5.
The eatery at 236 West Grand Ave. in Grover Beach developed a large local following over the years, thanks to American farm-to-table fare such as fried bologna sandwiches and chicken and dumplings.
Food Network star Guy Fieri featured The Spoon Trade on a September 2024 episode of “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.”
In September, married couple and restaurant co-owners Jacob and Brooke Town announced plans to move The Spoon Trade to make room for a new redevelopment project. Now the outlook of the 9-year-old eatery is uncertain.
“We understand this may be sad news for you. We share that sadness, but remain optimistic of our future here in Grover,” the Towns told customers in a message on The Spoon Trade’s website. “We’ve shared so many memories in this space and continue to be so grateful for the support of our community and staff.”
Jacob Town, who served as The Spoon Trade’s head chef, told The Tribune the decision to close the restaurant was extremely bittersweet.
“This has been one of the saddest weeks of my life,” he said. “(That) Sunday was one of the hardest days.”
Why did popular SLO County restaurant close?
At the start of 2025, Town discovered developers’ plans to transform a strip mall in the core of Grover Beach into a mixed-use building.
Coastal Community Builders plans to turn Beach Front Plaza into a four-story apartment complex featuring 5,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space below 40 residential condominiums, the development firm’s CEO, Cam Boyd previously told The Tribune.
“We anticipate sweeping ocean views from many of the residential condominiums as well as the rooftop deck — similar to what we have experienced on our other developments” including Encore and Palladium, Boyd said.
The businesses in Beach Front Plaza, which housed The Spoon Trade, Bee House Thai Cuisine, Let’s Knit and Signature Nails and Spa at the time of the sale, had until March 2026 to move, Coastal Community Builders said.
Town told The Tribune in mid-September that The Spoon Trade was closing in December or January, but it would reopen right across the street at 236 West Grand Ave. The eatery would be combined with the Towns’ bakery business, Grover Beach Sourdough.
The hybrid concept would be known as “The Spoon Trade featuring Grover Beach Sourdough,” Jacob Town said at the time.
Over the past month, The Spoon Trade struggled to fill its 85-seat space on a daily basis, Town said.
The Towns were also dealing with a constant barrage of customer questions about the restaurant’s planned departure.
“As time went on, the staff dwindled and some of the guests kind of slowed down,” with fewer newcomers and out-of-towners trying out the Grover Beach eatery, he said.
The Spoon Trade decided to end its lunch service on Oct. 1 to offset losses.
Less than a week into the restaurant’s new dinner-only hours, however, Town said it became abundantly clear that it “was financially not making sense to do that.”
The Spoon Trade featured on Food Network TV show
Since opening in 2016, The Spoon Trade had served hearty, comforting meals featuring local favorites including meatloaf and fried chicken and waffles.
Entrées featuring homemade, quality ingredients attracted the attention of Food Network celebrities and locals alike.
Fieri and his crew stopped by The Spoon Trade in March 2024 to film an episode of “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.”
Town told The Tribune that Fieri was effusive in his praise, calling the restaurant’s bologna sandwich “worth a pilgrimage” and describing its chicken and dumplings as “the most elevated” he’s ever tasted.
Besides a spot on “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives,” Town also appeared on multiple episodes of “Guy’s Grocery Games” in 2024.
Ultimately, the restaurant’s tenure was plagued by COVID-19 restrictions, downtown construction woes and the redevelopment of Beach Front Plaza.
“We just decided to pull the trigger and rip the Band-Aid off,” Town said. “At this point, it felt like the right decision.”
Grover Beach eatery says goodbye with final dinner service
On Oct. 5, The Spoon Trade said farewell to 16 employees and dozens of loyal customers with a final dinner service.
Town said the restaurant received nearly 90 reservations for that night.
That night, Town’s eyes filled with tears as he peered out at the full dining room.
Many of the patrons present had been dining at the restaurant for years, he said, including a woman who made The Spoon Trade her sanctuary after her husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Several customers cried and pushed cash into servers’ hands as they stepped out of the establishment for the last time, Town recalled.
“It just was an experience like none I’ve ever experienced,” Town said, adding that staff also had a hard time leaving. “I had to pry the mop out of my sous-chef’s hands and get him out of the back door.”
What’s next for The Spoon Trade?
Town said he’s unsure whether The Spoon Trade will have a second life in a new location.
“We are heartbroken, but we are also very excited,” he said. “It’s kind of like breaking up with somebody, you know, it almost feels like an abusive relationship in a way, and it’s like, ‘I love you, but I gotta go.’ ”
The Towns’ original plan was to transform the Grover Beach Sourdough site into a dining room with sit-down service and about 30 to 40 seats.
The bakery may shift into a neighboring storefront, currently home to KJB Screen Printing and Embroidery, while The Spoon Trade — or a different restaurant concept owned by the Towns — takes over the bakery’s current space.
The Towns are currently working on signing the lease to the 1,000-square-foot space next door to the bakery, with hopes to open early next year.
However, whether that place will be called The Spoon Trade is up in the air, he said.
“Who knows what we’re going to call it, or exactly what we’re going to serve, but it’s going to be an extension of our bakery, and it’ll be kind of a hybrid version of our businesses,” Town said. “We’re still not sure if we’re going to keep The Spoon Trade name or not.”
He compared The Spoon Trade to a box he’s been working inside for nearly a decade now. It’s freeing to be outside of it, Town told The Tribune.
“I get to ask myself, ‘What I would do differently if I could go back in time?’ ” he said.
Does Spoon Trade’s menu still exist?
Town said his repertoire will live on wherever he decides to cook next.
“The Spoon Trade is me. I wrote every dish and every plate of food that went on that menu.” Town said.
“So whether we call it The Spoon Trade or not, the collective experience” will continue to exist, he said.
Town pledged to serve crowd-pleasers including bologna sandwiches, chicken and dumplings and tri-tip tartare for the rest of his life.
“The Spoon Trade is an amazing place. People love it, the community loves it, but to keep a place like that going, it takes a tremendous amount of effort,” he said. “We’re ready for the next chapter.”
This story was originally published October 15, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Guy Fieri called SLO County restaurant ‘worth a pilgrimage.’ Why did it close?."
