Roy's continue charm with new locations

Roy's San Diego
333 West Harbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 231-3140
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San Diego was visited by a star chef this week, Roy Yamaguchi, who flew over from his home in Hawaii to supervise final touches for the opening of his new Roy's restaurant location next week at the San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina, near the Convention Center. He has come to San Diego often during the past seven years to monitor operations at his Roy's location in Costa Verde at UTC. This trip, however, is special.

"We believe in becoming part of our local community wherever we open a restaurant. We hire people from the local community and we contribute to it," Yamaguchi said. He particularly believes in supporting children's charities. The opening at the Marriott is a fundraiser for Rady Children's Hospital.

This is the third joint venture with the Marriott chain.

"After our first deal, Bill Marriott came to our New York restaurant and liked what he ate. He became a fan, opening the door to more deals," Yamaguchi said.

Roy's restaurants have both hotel and free-standing locations, with more than 30 restaurants across the country. Each location serves a number of "core" items but individual chefs have latitude in their menus. No two restaurants serve all the same items or are priced the same. Yamaguchi loves to teach, though, and imparts a lot of his knowledge as he visits his locations. Many of his chefs have worked with him for years and know his methods.

Yamaguchi looks young for all he has accomplished. His initial training was at the CIA in Hyde Park, but his early work was in Los Angeles, where he worked in classic French restaurants such as L'Hermitage and Le Escoffier. As a true artist, he wanted to create something of his own and gravitated toward the Hawaiian flavors of his childhood that his father prepared. He added these to his French sauces, creating a fusion that has become popular.

He shared his recipes and techniques in a number of books.

His published works are still in print and his cookware still sells well.

"San Diego has been very good to me. We have built a loyal clientele of local residents in La Jolla. Downtown, we will also appeal to transient visitors in hotels. But I'm concerned about rising costs and the economy," Yamaguchi said.

He doesn't plan to increase his prices or modify his portions, but plans to work harder to enhance his diners' experiences and give them value. "If we give 110 percent, we'll do all right," he concluded.

General Manager: Michael Sanchez
Executive Chef: Justin Haifley

Hours of Operation:

Monday: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Tuesday: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday: 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Saturday: 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Lunch served

Monday - Friday: 11:00 AM - 2:30 PM
Saturday-Sunday: 11:00 AM - 3:00PM

Dinner Menu: http://www.roysrestaurant.com/pdf/pdmenus/SanDiego.pdf

David Rottenberg
Dining San Diego Magazine
5467 Bahia Lane
La Jolla, CA 92037
858-274-4779 phone
858-274-4995 fax
858-349-1328 cell
david740@pacbell.net

Courtney Berg
BERKMAN
619.231.9977 (office)
305.773.6592 (mobile)

1230 Columbia Street, Suite 500
San Diego, CA 92101
courtney@berkmanpr.com

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