Original Joe’s Opens First East Bay Location in Walnut Creek

Original Joe's, a storied San Francisco Italian-American restaurant founded in 1937 by Croatian immigrant Tony Rodin, is marking a major milestone by opening its first East Bay location in Walnut Creek on August 14, 2025. The new 10,000-square-foot venue, located at 1300 S. Main St. in the Broadway Plaza shopping district, features 300 seats, two large outdoor patios, a rooftop bar, and a second floor, designed to evoke the classic Old-World charm and open kitchen concept of its San Francisco counterparts. Owned and operated by the Duggan family, third-generation descendants of Rodin, the Walnut Creek Original Joe's aims to serve both longtime East Bay fans and San Franciscans who have relocated across the Bay, making it a neighborhood 'clubhouse.' The opening will be celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Walnut Creek Mayor Cindy Darling, who also proclaimed August 14 as Original Joe's Day. The restaurant carries forward its reputation for generous portions of traditional dishes like spaghetti and meatballs, house-made ravioli, and mesquite-charcoal grilled steaks, alongside possible new menu items unique to the Walnut Creek location. After nearly three years of renovations and overcoming delays, Original Joe's Walnut Creek is poised to become a key dining and economic hub, expanding the nearly 90-year legacy of this iconic eatery.