“Working In The City” is The San Diego Sun’s feature Q&A series with downtown San Diego business operators. It’s a way to get to know the city by meeting the people who work here. This is the 11th in an ongoing series.
Company: Cowboy Star Restaurant & Butcher Shop (640 Tenth Avenue, East Village)
What we do: We’re a neighborhood fine-dining establishment specializing in house-cut steaks from our Butcher Shop, combining contemporary American cuisine and a Western flare.
About the business: It started with three owners: Jon and Angie Weber, and Executive Chef Victor Jimenez. They have a longstanding history of passion and experience in the hospitality and restaurant business. They wanted to bring a unique, fine-dining environment to East Village. It’s been popular since the doors opened 16 years ago! (We have a second location in Colorado Springs that’s nearly 10 years old.)
Specialty: We’re committed to supporting neighborhood farmers, fishers and producers by cooking food that recaptures the simple and pure tastes found in locally grown, natural and organic ingredients. We have a strong in-house butcher team that cuts our steaks every morning, ranging from classic New York strips to Ribeyes, Tomahawks and Japanese Wagyu.
Owner/Manager: General Manager Melea Smith. I’ve been in San Diego for 10 years. My commute to downtown from University Heights on the 163 takes 10-15 minutes.
Employees: 68.
Finding staff: Thankfully, with our long standing in the industry, we have a lot of potential team members who strive to work for Cowboy Star and reach out to us.
Company mascot: Billy the Bison! He’s our bison skull that overlooks the main dining room above our fireplace.
Company motto: We have a few values that we base our entire operation around. One is “Romantic Warmth.” Our team works to bring this into our famed “Cowboy Star Experience” for guests and team members.
Regulars: We have a vast regular base that we’re thankful for. We couldn’t do what we do without them! They know who they are.
Best aspects of working downtown: The events, and being near the activities that are continuously flowing from the convention center and Petco Park.
Worst aspects of working downtown: Lack of parking availability.
Parking: We often recommend rideshare and carpools. We have a binder of nearby public parking garages in case our guests are unable to find metered parking. We also let reservations know when there’s an event or baseball game downtown so guests can plan accordingly.
Most surprising part of working downtown: The sense of community, especially in East Village. The businesses and locals are all looking out for each other and want everyone to succeed.
Funniest downtown work memory: Never a dull day when Comic-Con is in town.
Scariest downtown work moment: We had an overdose across the street. We have Narcan on site and were able to assist in getting it administered. The guy woke up as he was being put into the ambulance.
Big event boosts: We have a lot of guests coming in for special occasions, birthdays, anniversaries, but we definitely fill up very quickly during big events. And we plan our dining room around large concerts, so we can get as many guests in as possible before their evening events.
Homelessness: We have to constantly be on guard with who walks in our establishment, which unfortunately has everyone a bit on edge every day. We recently started locking our doors earlier to keep situations from happening later in the evening.
Business friendliness of the city, on a scale of 1 (easiest) to 10 (hardest): I’d say a 5, right in the middle. It takes time, but we do have the proper channels to go through to get things done. The city could definitely create more parking and add security measures regarding the homeless population.
Celebrity sightings: Yes. We have a few that love to dine with us. We ensure they feel comfortable and can have their relaxing escape from their day-to-day lives.
If your business was made into a movie, it would be called: Cowboy Star. John Wayne would have been the perfect leading man.
Favorite downtown business that isn’t yours: The Lion’s Share (Marina District). It’s a very swanky cocktail bar. Love that they have a late-night food menu and great beverage selections. The staff is lovely, and you’ll always run into a few friendly faces.
Best tip for running a downtown business: Seasonal menu changes. Weekly specials. Make friends. Keep the local community in mind and give them reasons to want to come back on a regular basis. SDSun
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