The Story of Big John Up Dated
March 27th, 2009Hi Welcome To Big John’s Café Redondo Beach. Opened November 1st, 2008
What is Big John’s Café? Well it is a place to eat, relax, and enjoy your friends and family you came with and a place where hopefully you will meet new friends. I have tried to create a menu that has something for everyone every time you come in. Weather it be twice a day or twice a week. Good food made when you order it and from fresh ingredients.
In the late 1950’s there once was a little dinner in El Segundo called The Village Coffee Shop. It was a great little place secluded in the residential area just west of Sepulveda. For years the little café saw good times and bad. One day while Big John was having lunch the owner was saying how she wanted to move on and was tired of the long hours. So that is when I bought the Village Coffee Shop. The year was 1996.
In July of 1996 I took over, revamped the menu, add my own creations, and changed the name to “Big John’s Café” and so that is how the little dinner that could, did. Big John’s soon became a favorite local place for everyone in town. Even with all the changes the little Dinner had seen I was still was able to complement the traditional home style American cooking that the dinner was famous for, with dishes from around the world, steaks to pastas, Mexican to Russian, what ever you want, you can get from Big John’s Café.
Specializing in homemade is not always an easy task. Everything is from scratch, fresh, for you. AFTER ALL IF BIG JOHN WILL NOT EAT, IT HE WILL NOT SERVE IT.
My homemade Chili, no beans of course, or our soups, breads and almost everything else is prepared and aged to perfection before we serve it.
May 28, 2003 Big John became a Grandfather. Jordan Kaitlyn had arrived and the world had just changed for the little café and Big John. Who would have guessed that from that day forward there would be a high chair at the end of the counter and a little girl would be sitting there to greet you when you would arrive and say good by when you left. In 2005 Big John sold the little dinner and retired. Mostly so he could spend more time with his granddaughter. After about a year I got the itch to go back to work. So the search began for a new Big John’s Café. November 2008 a new beginning for a run down Italian café in Redondo Beach. A new owner, new staff, new menu and a new name. Big John’s Café, Redondo Beach was born. The new place has all your old favorites of both the original Big John’s as well as a few of the local favorites from the Italian café. And of course there is that all so important little girl still sitting to greet you, Jordan. Jordan is now five years old and is a great wonderful to have in our lives. We have even named to dishes that are her favorites after her. The Jordie Pizza which consists of our basic pizza with olives and pineapple toppings. The other is the Jordie Pie a fresh made to order pastry filled with fruit filling and delivered hot to your table. I like mine with ice cream.
So after a little over three years, in Big John fashion I have brought great home style cooking back to the So. Bay.
I hope this has given you a little insight into how we got here to day. I appreciate your patronage and hope that your visit here today and every time you come in is as rewarding to you as it is to me to have you as a customer and a friend.
Your support of the American Independent Businessman and the “Mom and Pop” businesses is what has kept America alive. For the future of our Country and prosperity of our future generations support us today.
After all “IF YOU ARE HUNGRY AND DON’T GO TO BIG JOHN’S THEN BIG JOHN AND JORDIE GO HUNGERY TOO.
Enjoy your meal; please ask if there is anything we can do for you.
Big John