When the Food Network called chef Jacob Town, he thought it was the greatest gift he’d ever received during his 30 years in the industry. After a two-hour interview and a couple of days in limbo, Town and his wife, Brooke, found out their restaurant, The Spoon Trade, was cast on season 49, episode 11, of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, a show hosted by Guy Fieri.
In March last year, the restaurant shut down for two days to film hours of content in the dining room and kitchen. Crew members filmed and photographed everything about the food, down to the spatulas and equipment required to cook it, Town remembered.
Rise and shine
Grover Beach Sourdough, located at 236 W. Grand Ave., is open from Wednesday to Sunday between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. or until it sells out. Follow the bakery on Instagram @groverbeachsourdough.
“There is an energy to people that are that famous,” Town said. “It is cool to have somebody like that here.”
He said Fieri genuinely loved The Spoon Trade’s featured dishes, a bologna sandwich and chicken and dumplings. Part of the restaurant’s draw is homemade ingredients like bologna, American cheese, and burger buns.
Since the episode aired in September 2024, Town has welcomed customers who discovered the restaurant from the show. One time, he recalled, a guest came in because they saw Town’s episode on TV in their nearby hotel room.
“It’s been amazing to put Grover Beach on the map,” Town said about the national spotlight.
After appearing on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Town competed and won two episodes of Guy’s Grocery Games. Then Fieri handed over an invitation to the Tournament of Champions, a special moment for Town.
“They aired that part, and that was 30 seconds of national television dedicated just to me and that moment, and they didn’t have to do that,” Town said. “I just felt really recognized by them.”
This year, Town’s episodes finished airing not long after he celebrated the 10th anniversary of opening The Spoon Trade. Then a developer bought the building, and Town planned to downsize the restaurant into the space beside Grover Beach Sourdough, the couple’s bakery across the street.
However, on Oct. 5, Town made the formal decision to close the restaurant for the remainder of the year due to financial reasons. After that, he and his wife will decide whether they want to reopen The Spoon Trade and combine it with Grover Beach Sourdough like they originally intended.
“The hardest part was getting through our last service [that] night and serving our last plate of food,” Town said.
Despite the changes, Town said he’s looking forward to the next chapter. In the coming months he’ll decide if he wants to expand the bakery to include some of The Spoon Trade’s signature dishes.
“We’re going to have a real hard time not serving chicken and dumplings and bologna and tri-tip tartare,” Town said.
Since opening in 2017, Grover Beach Sourdough’s menu has grown to include baguettes, pretzels, bagels, and six types of sourdough. Also featured are buttermilk biscuits, brown butter cookies, bread pudding, and brioche buns.
For the rest of the year, Town will focus on production at Grover Beach Sourdough. With seasonal options like stuffing kits and pumpkin cheesecakes, the holidays are the bakery’s “Superbowl.”
Town said The Spoon Trade’s legacy will live on through him and his wife no matter what ventures they pursue in the future.
“We’re also extremely excited for the future,” Town said. “This is an opportunity for us to close the door and open another one.”
Send sourdough slices to Staff Writer Madison White at mwhite@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Oct 9 – Oct 16, 2025.