McPhee’s Grill reopens after COVID closure — and it just debuted a new location as well
After seven months of waiting, North County diners can once again enjoy a meal at McPhee’s Grill — and they can also check out the restaurant’s new Paso Robles location, as well.
McPhee’s reopened with limited indoor dining on Wednesday, and its new to-go spot, McPhee’s Canteen, opened in Tin City in late October.
“It’s just time. I feel like the county is going to stay in the red zone, I hope,” owner Ian McPhee said, referring to the area’s COVID-19 recovery tier, which allows indoor dining.
When the pandemic hit San Luis Obispo County in March, the Templeton favorite closed its doors along with many other local restaurants.
After months of closure, McPhee heard about an open space at Tin City and saw it as a “natural place” for a new location next to local wineries, breweries and other small businesses.
“It just seemed like a pretty good business opportunity,” he said.
McPhee’s Canteen offers salads, sandwiches, pizzas and burgers made with as many local products as possible, including Central Coast produce and cheeses.
The eatery has a more casual vibe, with patio service and counter ordering. So far, business has been good, McPhee said.
“It’s going to be a fun little project,” he said.
Reopening the grill after seven months
McPhee has maintained a wait-and-see approach to opening the popular downtown Templeton grill during the pandemic.
“Long-term planning is out the window, at this point,” he said. “After being in business 27 years, it’s frightening, it’s crazy. It’s just such an odd feeling.”
He decided not to open right away in June, when indoor dining was briefly allowed before a spike in COVID-19 cases shut it down again. And, unlike other eateries, McPhee’s opted not to offer take-out or outdoor dining.
McPhee said he built the restaurant on the premise of “this is what I want to eat, this is what I want to drink, this is the kind of service I want,” which would have been challenging to replicate with outdoor dining in the parking lot.
“All I saw was $20,000 worth of fixtures,” he said. “I didn’t need to invest any more money.”
Offering take-out “just didn’t fit,” as McPhee didn’t want customers to remember eating their first meals from his restaurant out of paper boxes, he said.
McPhee owns his building, meaning there was less pressure to open because he didn’t have to worry about making the rent every month. And he received $320,000 in federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan funds that he used to pay his staff once unemployment benefits began to run out.
McPhee said his top priority is making sure returning customers feel safe coming back to his restaurant, as he knows people already feel uncomfortable going out right now.
There are now dividers separating booths, and customers must make reservations to dine in, as only 12 of the restaurant’s 38 tables are open.
“We have such great support in the community,” McPhee said. “You just want to do it right.”
