Gott’s Roadside hopes to open its new Town and Country Village location once it completes its preparations and employee training, providing more lunchtime options for Palo Alto High School students starting this Thursday.
This location will be Gott’s fourth site. The Napa Valley based restaurant has replaced the vacant spot between Ruti and Book’s Inc. left by Hobee’s Restaurant’s recent departure from Town and Country.
This “fast-casual” restaurant serves “updated American and California classics,” including a variety of burgers, tacos, salads, chicken dishes, hot dogs and fries, according to General Manager Herb Harms and the restaurant’s website.
While the building is filled with tables, Gott’s does not consider itself a sit-down restaurant. Instead, customers will line up to order and be paged once their food is ready, which takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes, according to Harms.
In preparation for potential Paly customers, Gott’s has made arrangements for a lunch special from a “high school” menu.
“[The special] basically allows you to pick three items,” Harms said. “Let’s say you wanted a hamburger, fries and a drink; we have that available for $6.99, which is a really terrific deal.”
The Paly special burgers are the same portion size as the “adult,” or regularly priced, burgers.
Besides supplying students with reduced lunchtime prices, Gott’s is also willing to consider offering jobs to Paly students.
“Sometimes the trouble with students is the availability [aspect] is a little difficult, but we plan on hiring and have hired some,” Harms said.
Additionally, the restaurant prides itself on its customer service and food quality.
“Gott’s has always been about hospitality – how you want to make people feel when they walk into your house, with great food, great beverages, [being] friendly, smiling,” Harms said. “It has always been our trademark.”
Harms also stated the importance of “going out of our way to find the best products for what we serve,” citing the Niman Ranch vegetarian-fed Angus beef, sushi-grade ahi and Mary’s free range chicken that the restaurant uses as ingredients.
In addition, Gott’s uses compostable cups and cutlery to try to be environmentally friendly.
“Part of our thinking is always a part of how we are in the world and the environment – how to buy and present sustainable products,” Harms said.
Gott’s Restaurant is also located in Napa Valley, including its original St. Helena establishment, and the San Francisco Ferry Building Marketplace.
While Gott’s provides a variety of foods, according to Harms, there is still a general favorite among its customers.
He said, “If I was going to say what’s the most popular [food], yeah, hamburgers probably lead the charge.”