These 35 new eateries, tasting rooms and businesses opened in SLO County in 2025

Amid plenty of closures, dozens of new businesses sprouted up all over San Luis Obispo County in 2025 — from coffee shops in Morro Bay and restaurants in downtown SLO to tasting rooms in Paso Robles.

As we ring in 2026, here’s a look back at some of the new businesses that opened across the county this past year.

January

Shekamoo Grill

Shekamoo Grill opened on Jan. 24, 2025, at 811 Froom Ranch Way in SLO Ranch & Marketplace, and is the only Persian restaurant in SLO County.

Shekamoo Grill serves authentic Persian kebabs, plates and showcases its creative side with the “Persian version” of dishes like a “lamburger,” paella and nachos with Persian meats and spices.

Efren’s

Efren’s, a Mexican restaurant, opened the last week of January and gave out free tacos that Thursday to celebrate its opening.

The new restaurant opened in the former Tortilla Town spot next to Barnes and Noble in the Downtown Centre, but already has locations at 1285 Laurel Lane in SLO, 1720 Beach St. in Oceano and 1625 South Blosser Road in Santa Maria.

February

Bob Cantu’s Pizza and Sports Bar

Bob Cantu’s Pizza and Sports Bar opened Feb. 22, which was a “dream come true” for owner Bob Cantu, who also owns Marv’s Pizza and Sports Bar.

The pizza place is adorned with basketball memorabilia, as Cantu was a college basketball coach for over 25 years.

March

Dutch Bros Coffee

The popular coffee chain opened its third location in SLO County at 8306 El Camino Real in Atascadero in March.

Dutch Bros Coffee opened its doors in the same shopping center as Food 4 Less and shares a space with a new Jersey Mike’s sandwich shop.

Shrine Brewing

Shrine Brewing celebrated its grand opening at its new taproom at 3197 Duncan Road in San Luis Obispo on March 1.

The brewing company was a longtime ambition to create quality craft beer on the Central Coast, co-owner Joe Florence told The Tribune.

Shrine Brewing serves “tasty and experimental” beers, like a pale ale, hazy India Pale Ale, American brown ale or a West Coast-style IPA.

Paso Bottle Shop

Paso Bottle Shop opened March 21 at 1102 Railroad St. with two restaurants, four local wineries and one brewery inside.

The bottle shop includes four wineries: mid•point, Rockbound Cellars, Nenow Family Wines and Hayseed and Housdon. Sushi restaurant Goshi joined the bottle shop later this year, as did Staviary, a new Eastern-European fusion restaurant. The one brewery part of Paso Bottle Shop is Cellar Fermentation.

Premium Meat Market

Premium Meat Market at 2252 Broad St. in San Luis Obispo opened March 29 with fine cuts of Japanese A5 rib-eyes, Australian wagyu and all USDA Prime products.

The owner, Ricardo Tovar, has had a family operating meat markets since the early 1900s, and now it’s his turn. Atypical grocery store products are also available at Premium Meat Market, like octopus, large lobster tails, tomahawk steaks and wagyu.

April

Breda

A chocolaterie and patisserie that was previously tucked away inside Peruvian restaurant Mistura opened its own location in April.

Breda at 1021 Higuera St. is owned by Michelin star pastry chef Florencia Breda and brought an Italian ambiance inspired by Breda’s hometown of Venice with an “Amalfi Coast vibe.”

Afternoon teas, European breakfast options, charcuterie, classic Italian dishes and an array of desserts are served at the new spot.

Mosey’s Burgers

When doughnut shop Surf Rat Donuts closed its doors after less than a year in business, Mosey’s Burgers took over its lease at 101 D. St. in Cayucos.

The smashburger joint, which opened in April, is owned by Ellen and Jeremy Sizemore who also own Pie in the Sky Pizza and High Tide Deli.

Mosey’s Burgers serves smashburgers and tallow fries as the stars of the menu.

Hungry Mother

Hungry Mother, a Southern restaurant with Southeast Asian flavors, started as a barbecue trailer in Santa Maria then converted to a food truck, and was finally in its brick-and-mortar in April.

The restaurant in Suite B at 1255 Monterey St. in San Luis Obispo serves noodle bowls, shrimp and grits, bánh mí, po’boy sandwiches and a weekly special which is usually a curry.

Bizarre Antiques and Oddities

Right next to Hungry Mother, another new business opened in SLO: Bizarre Antiques and Oddities.

The shop opened its doors in Atascadero two years ago, but its owner Erin Binger moved her skulls, wet specimens and other oddities to Suite A at 1255 Monterey St. in April.

The antique oddities shop sells taxidermy, medical items, funeral items, art pieces and depression-era glass.

HolyBelly

HolyBelly at 967 W Grand Ave. opened back in April and is run by three siblings: Cindy, Omar and Cesar Flores who have all dreamt of owning their own restaurant, after Omar and Cesar worked in kitchens all over SLO County for 25 years.

The siblings opened up a breakfast spot after noting how there weren’t enough breakfast places in Grover Beach, Cindy told The Tribune.

“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.”

HolyBelly serves Mexican-American breakfast food, like chilaquiles, chorizo omelets and dulce de leche waffles.

May

Wren Provisions

Wren Provisions, a restaurant and bodega at 1901 Broad St., opened in May with grab-and-go snacks, wine and an entire sit-down area for Italian, Mediterranean and Japanese-influenced dishes like a seasonal crudo, manila clams, warm mushroom toast and a crab deviled egg.

Beverages to accompany the plates include wines, beers and spirit-free drinks.

June

Businesses in SLO Ranch Farms & Marketplace

Six new restaurants and businesses opened at SLO Ranch Farms & Marketplace over the summer, including a pizza spot, vintage cheese store and an event space.

Palo Mesa Pizza opened in the same building as Shekamoo Grill and is next to another new spot, Vintage Cheese Co. with local cheeses handmade at the shop. Vintage Cheese Co. also has a 10-foot viewing room as caramel apples, fudge and other confectionary are made in-house.

Syync Studio also opened at SLO Ranch Farms this year, and was the last retail business to sign with the marketplace.

The studio space is open for rentals and is a plaster showroom, showcasing plaster work on the walls and shelves of the studio.

Baby Bear Biscuits also opened at SLO Ranch Farms this year, serving up southern-style biscuits and gravy next to sushi spot Sushi Table. Next to Baby Bear Biscuits is a popular vegetarian food truck that finally got its first brick-and-mortar: Plant Ivy, selling vegetarian and vegan options for burgers, bowls and desserts.

Paso Robles Brewing Co. opened its second location at SLO Ranch Farms & Marketplace, serving burgers, tacos, french fries, cheesesteak, sandwiches and salads. Current season and rotating beers include their amber ale, mosaic IPA and nitro stout. Owner Ryan Bonner called the opening a “miracle.”

“I just stood right on that location, and I looked around, and I could just feel it,” he said. “I was like, ‘Wow, this a pretty special place.’”

Nova Coffee Co.

A drive-thru coffee shop opened in June and operates an all-outdoor dining area at 1156 E Grand Ave. in Arroyo Grande.

Nova Coffee Co. makes made-to-order coffees, teas, pastries and burritos, as well as specialty drinks like the York, an espresso dark chocolate peppermint drink.

Gold Land BBQ

While the barbecue restaurant simply moved to a larger space in The Creamery Marketplace, its menu also expanded to include breakfast dishes.

Gold Land BBQ at 570 Higuera St. opened June 13 and combined its popular smoked meats with classic breakfast burritos, eggs Benedict and chicken and waffles.

Los Mexas

Los Mexas opened June 2, and is nestled inside Sidewalk Market in SLO, serving cheap and tasty Mexican-style street food.

The restaurant features a blend of home cooking and Mexican street food, described as “definitely something new” by its co-owner Paulina Salcedo, with handmade tortillas, fried quesadilla and chilaquiles with a rotating seasonal menu.

Kiler Canyon Vineyard

Kiler Canyon Vineyard unveiled its new tasting lounge at 3050 Blue Rock Road in Paso Robles in June, with a building of accordion doors, a walk-up bar and micro-lot wines.

The new tasting room offers a prepared flights experience, where guests can “bounce back and forth” and “get the whole perspective of the different wines.”

July

Condesa

A new restaurant and bar opened in the space that previously held Splash Cafe at 1491 Monterey St. in San Luis Obispo in July.

Condesa is a call toward Mexico City’s nightlife and the La Condesa neighborhood.

The spot brings a contemporary cocktail program like the Yoko Spritz, Jamaica Mule and Hanky Palenque, and food like mariscos, tacos and tostadas.

Chowa Bowl

Chowa Bowl in Pismo Beach opened July 14 at 690 Dolliver St., another addition to chef and owner Katie Bosken’s other Chowa Bowl eatery in Morro Bay.

The restaurant serves poke bowls, ramen, salads and rice bowls.

Marcerro

Marcerro opened in early July at the Dairy Creek Golf Course with stunning views and locally sources plates not just for golfers.

The restaurant is a part of SLO County’s forthcoming eco-resort, Nightsky camps and serves “typical dishes, but with a spin” like whipped feta, duck confit pappardelle, poke nachos and the marcerro burger.

Honey I’m Home Pismo Cafe

Honey I’m Home Pismo Cafe opened on July 4 at 620 Cypress St. in Pismo Beach and brings a home-away-from-home atmosphere with cozy dishes like chicken fried steak, catfish and eggs, omelets and biscuits and gravy.

The restaurant also features a small ice cream parlor at the front of the business, with large tubs of flavors like cappuccino chocolate crunch, peanut butter and jelly and mango tangerine.

August

Grace & Rose

Grace & Rose opened its door at 745 Park St. in Paso Robles on Aug. 1 inside a century-old farmhouse.

The cozy space features rustic tables, chairs and hardwood floors and serves up seasonal flavors and ingredients like squashes, apples, pears and soups and braises.

Gravesend Wine Merchant & Eatery

A new restaurant and wine bar opened in Paso Robles in early August, serving food and beverages approachable to “all walks of life.”

Gravesend Wine Merchant & Eatery, also the home of winery Saint K Wines, is named after the Gravesend town in England, where the previous owner’s grandmother lived, and is coined a “safe place for community to come,” following the post-apocalyptic theme of the new restaurant and wine bar.

The Ava Hotel

The Ava Hotel held its grand opening in August after its blueprints were drawn over a decade ago.

The newest boutique hotel in Paso Robles is at 944 Pine St. and has 151 rooms with 24 varieties and three restaurants all serving different cuisines ranging from French grab-and-go, Mediterranean and Baja-coastline inspired cuisine.

McPrice Myers Wines

New tasting room McPrice Myers Wines opened in August on its property in the Adelaida District of Paso Robles. The tasting room’s bar is supported by wooden barrel staves from the winery, with indoor, outdoor and meadow seating shaded by hundred-year-old oak trees. McPrice Myers Wines’ tasting menu includes five wines that rotate based on the seasons from the winery’s list of 47 bottles.

Nomo Domo

Nomo Domo, a ramen restaurant, opened in downtown SLO at 848 Monterey St. in August, serving traditional and “new world” ramen bowls and Japanese comfort food.

The restaurant’s name is loosely translated as “Let’s get together and celebrate,” and its menu includes double-friend Karaage chicken, Agedashi Tofu Nasi or roasted eggplant, a summer special of cold ramen, salads, rice and four ramen bowls.

Central Coast Refillery

A new place to “refill” on products like laundry detergent, cleaning products, lotions, shampoo, conditioner and general household materials opened at 5835 Traffic Way in Atascadero.

Central Coast Refillery is a sustainable alternative option for clean products, and has filled 803 containers “cut out of landfill.”

September

Nautical Bean

A new location of Nautical Bean opened in Morro Bay at 911 Main St. in September.

The popular coffee shop still serves its usual pump drip coffees, espresso drinks, teas and blended drinks and an array of breakfast and lunch items.

Savory Smoke

A Southern-style barbecue restaurant serves authentic fare that’s “Memphis-inspired with a California twist,” according to its co-owner Stephanie Hale.

Savory Smoke opened in early September at 897 Main St. in Morro Bay, with a 12-dish menu of fried chicken wings, St. Louis-style pork ribs and a smoked pork loin sandwich.

October

Lebber’s Pizza

Lebber’s Pizza opened on Oct. 1 at 593 Traffic Way in Atascadero and quickly became a bustling spot.

The first-come, first-served pizza joint highlights local, season ingredients in made-to-order pizzas and handcrafted snacks. Its menu includes 10 items: a salad, snacks, appetizers and four pizzas like the Peeper-Roni pie and the Toadhead with a lemony cream sauce.

Infused Thai Fusion Kitchen

Infused Thai Fusion Kitchen opened at 420 Quintana Road in Morro Bay in October and doesn’t just serve Thai cuisine — Thai-infused American, Indian, Japanese and Korean dishes are all on the menu.

A chili-marinated burger topped with a fried egg and crispy sweet basil is on the list, as well as a curry roti appetizer served with a yellow curry dipping sauce and pan-fried Thai pancakes.

Coastwine

Coastwine celebrated its opening at 257 Morro Bay Blvd. in Morro Bay in early October. The wine bar and shop has a selection of Central Coast and international vintages from France, Italy and Spain, all from small independent producers.

Nicola

Nicola Allegretta of Mama’s Meatball and Mistura opened his newest venture, Nicola, in November at 11560 Los Osos Road in Suite 190 and serves up SLO County’s first Bachiche cuisine, a mix between Peruvian and Italian cuisines.

The restaurant’s menu includes Menestron, a minestrone soup with tender beef and pasta, Tallarin, a homemade tagliatelle pasta with signature Bachiche pesto and Ceviche Callao, a classic Peruvian ceviche.

December

Golden China

Golden China reopened in December right next to its old original location from 1983 at 6917 El Camino Real Suite H in Atascadero. The Chinese restaurant serves its classic menu like fried rice, kung pao chicken, egg foo young and seafood-based dishes.