With more than four decades of restaurant experience under his belt, Anthony Burns was eager to help “carry the torch” for a longtime friend who dreamt of owning a diner someday.
For the past three to four years, Burns, 61, and Roscoe Holloway, 86, have talked on and off about opening a restaurant together. The two Santa Maria residents kept their eyes peeled for potential locations to rent, and 2022 marked the end of their search.
“We had been talking, and talking, and talking, and looking, just trying to find the right opportunity. He [Holloway] always wanted a restaurant, and I’ve been in the restaurant business for years,” Burns said. “I’ve always enjoyed the feel of the restaurant industry and the food because, you know, no matter what the economy is like, or what’s going on, people like to have a place they can go to unwind and relax.”
Earlier this year, Holloway became the owner of a 5,200 square-foot space located in Santa Maria’s Town Center West. June marked the grand opening of Holloway’s new venture, Roscoe’s Kitchen, where Burns serves as the restaurant’s general manager.
Burns described his new place of work as a family-friendly eatery “where Southern hospitality meets the California vibe,” with breakfast skillets, pancakes, fried catfish, pulled pork sandwiches, chili, chicken and dumpling soup, apple cobbler, and 21 different ice cream flavors included on the restaurant’s expansive menu.
“When you walk in the door, you’re going to feel that hospitality. And when you leave, you’re gonna hear that bell ring,” Burns said, while pointing to a large bell resting over the restaurant’s front counter. “We ring the bell when you leave to let you know that we appreciate your business and want you to come back.”
Burns is originally from Louisiana, and lived in Tennessee and Mississippi before moving to California about seven years ago. Part of Burns’ restaurant career was spent working for blues clubs in Memphis. He hopes to bring a similar atmosphere found in those venues to Roscoe’s Kitchen, which he said will be hosting live bands and DJs on weekends in the near future.
This aspiration was one of the reasons Burns found the Town Center West location appealing, once it became vacant, he explained.
“We knew that the vision of the city government is wanting to make this [side of town] more of an entertainment district,” Burns said. “That really appealed to me because I’ve been part of the entertainment district in Memphis, on Beale Street.”
Burns said he believes that Santa Maria locals and tourists will be attracted to visiting Roscoe’s Kitchen due to the restaurant’s close proximity to the mall and other shopping outlets. Roscoe’s also offers special deals to bring in families, including one promo that allows kids to eat free with a paying adult, from Monday through Friday, between 4 and 9 p.m.
The eatery is also unique among many Santa Maria venues for its late hours. Roscoe’s stays open until 11 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, and operates as a 24-hour diner between Thursday and Sunday, similar to Denny’s, where Burns previously worked as a manager as well.
Burns’ foray into the food industry began in 1982, when he worked for a Wendy’s in Louisiana.
“I started as a grill man at Wendy’s for $3.35 an hour,” Burns said. “I took a lot of pride in it. I’ve always been competitive, playing sports in high school and college, and I wanted to be the best grill man. I’d shine my shoes, and get my slacks on, and get all dressed up, because I really took pride in it.”
Three months after Burns was hired at Wendy’s, he was offered the position of co-manager.
“The restaurant industry is what you make it, if you enjoy it and are willing to stick with it, it’ll be good to you,” Burns said.
Coincidentally, Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood’s favorite fast food chain is Wendy’s. Send comments to cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jul 7-14, 2022.
