CEO Clay Walker explains how the brand’s pastoral aesthetic and patient approach to growth have helped it become one of Northern California’s favorite destinations.
California’s Napa Valley is one of the nation’s premier tourist destinations, which has fostered an incredible dining scene featuring several Michelin-starred restaurants, including The French Laundry in Yountville, The Restaurant at Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford, and PRESS Restaurant in Saint Helena.
While it has no Michelin stars, Gott’s Roadside has become just as important to the region’s dining scene as those renowned destinations. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2024, Gott’s has eight locations in Northern California, all of them featuring what president Clay Walker describes as a “wine country picnic experience.” That includes high-quality burgers, sandwiches, salads, and hot dogs alongside an impressive lineup of wines and beers, served in a pastoral setting featuring ample patio space with picnic tables.
Walker joined the latest episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches to talk about Gott’s methodic approach to growth and its efforts to bottle a wine country aesthetic that can help it growth beyond its Northern California roots.
In this conversation, you’ll learn why:
You shouldn’t be afraid to fail, because your biggest success might still be ahead of you
Counter service and picnic tables are perfectly acceptable for elevated food
If you want to be all things to all people, open where they live, work, and play
If you want to be the best at what you do, learn to be patient
Timing is everything with succeeding as a brand
Restaurants are as much about emotions and memories as they are food and drink
Contact Sam Oches at [email protected].
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