Siblings open new breakfast spot in Grover Beach. What’s on the menu?

A new breakfast spot has landed in Grover Beach.

HolyBelly opened last month at 967 W Grand Ave. with three siblings at the helm of the restaurant.

Cindy, Omar and Cesar Flores always dreamed of opening their own restaurant, as Omar and Cesar worked in the restaurant business for 25 years. They worked in kitchens all over San Luis Obispo County, including San Luis Obispo’s The Mark Bar & Grill in 2018, Cindy said.

“If you live in the Central Coast, chances are you have already tried out their food,” she told The Tribune. “But they didn’t have a restaurant of their own.”

As for Cindy, who has owned hair salons for over 10 years, her love for coffee pushed her to pursue the idea of a quaint coffee shop or restaurant.

“You know the sense of community that you get when you’re at those little coffee shops and things like that?” she said. “It was always something that piqued my interest, but we were all doing other things, so it never became a reality until now.”

The Floreses were not even looking for a restaurant space when they saw the “for lease” sign in downtown Grover Beach. Cindy said she was looking for a spot for another hair salon, and stumbled upon the former DarWish Cuisine spot that closed in October.

“We just kind of went with the flow,” Cindy said. “It wasn’t really like, now the plan is to open a restaurant.”

Once a semblance of an idea was formed, the family was on board to start a breakfast place — something that was a need in Grover Beach, according to Cindy.

“When we’re looking to have breakfast, it’s either in Arroyo Grande or Pismo or Shell Beach, but we don’t have anything here,” she said. “We’ve been here for some 20-something years, and there’s been little spots here and there, but I feel like we needed something a little bit more.”

That was the start of HolyBelly, Cindy said. The restaurant’s name is a direct translation of the Spanish expression “santa panza” to clarify a stomach full of good food.

“It’s very catchy in English, it’s fun,” Cindy said. “It leaves you wondering.”

HolyBelly serves Mexican-American breakfast food, like chilaquiles, chorizo omelets and dulce de leche waffles. Its lunch menu includes sandwiches, burgers, salads and fish tacos.

An all-American breakfast plate accompanies the menu, as well as aji sol ceviche and a classic burger. For a sweet breakfast, tiramisu French toast and blueberry ricotta pancakes are also offered.

“We’re bringing all those recipes from home, from mom’s cooking,” Cindy said.

The Floreses immigrated from Mexico starting in 1997, and while Cindy learned English in high school, her two brothers immediately started working in kitchens and persevered to learn English then. It was a tough road for the Flores, Cindy said.

“We all had to work really hard to be able to do this,” she said.

Omar and Cesar create every dish served at HolyBelly. Cindy calls them the “backbone” of the business.

“They’re pretty much running the show,” she said. “I guess I’m the face of the restaurant when it comes down to it, because they’re a little bit more on the shy side.”

Even restaurants like HolyBelly are not exempt from some sibling rivalry, however.

“You have three different opinions at all times,” Cindy said. “We have learned to compromise and we are big on family, so sometimes we just have to give in.”

For more information

HolyBelly is at 967 W Grand Ave in Grover Beach.

It is open Wednesday to Monday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information about the restaurant, visit its website or call 805-202-8247.

This story was originally published May 23, 2025 at 2:00 PM.