Hob Nob Hill, a historic Bankers Hill icon for eight decades, has been sold, but not to worry. The new owner intends to keep the name and the classic, homey menu in place.
Longtime Hob Nob owner Tania Warchol, who bought the restaurant in 1993 with her then-husband, Jeff Kacha, said that after more than 30 years of working, often seven days a week, it’s time to move on and spend more time with her grandchildren and possibly travel.
Purchasing the restaurant — and the building that houses it — is Douglas Hamm, of Creative House, whose commercial real estate and development firm is involved in a number of hospitality ventures. That includes Nolita Hall, an expansive, European-inspired dining and drinking venue in Little Italy operated by Hamm’s firm, Black Swan Hospitality. Black Swan will also be tasked with running Hob Nob.
The sales price for the restaurant real estate on First Avenue was $2,715,000, according to Jeff Olson, Taxpayer Advocate with the San Diego County Assessor’s Office. That’s up considerably from 2003, when Warchol and her ex-husband bought the building for $584,000, records show.
A hybrid diner-style restaurant and bakery, Hob Nob is a culinary institution and gathering spot that underwent a number of incarnations — and name changes — in its early years. But it has never strayed from classic comfort food favorites such as chicken fried steak and eggs benedict that keep customers returning year after year.
The restaurant was founded by Harold and Dorothy Hoersch in May 1944 at a nearby location. Then called the Juniper Cafe, the restaurant was little more than a 14-stool lunch counter. Two years later, the couple moved the eatery to the current site, changing the name over the years to the Melody Grill, then Dorothy’s Oven, and finally to the Hob Nob Hill.
“Hob Nob stops with me,” said Warchol, 62, her voice occasionally cracking as she talked about the bittersweet move to sell her business. “The new owner is a very good operating group. I’ve seen them come in and they’re watching and learning and I think they’ll be very successful. I didn’t demand that Hob Nob stay but they were adamant about keeping the Hob Nob name and keeping it the same.
“That’s good. And that’s my hope.”
Warchol’s last day will be March 2, when her employees will also serve the final meal before the restaurant closes temporarily as it transitions to a new operating team. Because the venue is now under new ownership, employees will be required, as a matter of course, to reapply for their positions.
Preserving the long-standing Hob Nob brand is important to the new owner, said Daniela DiGregorio, director of operations for Black Swan Hospitality.
“We don’t have a precise timeline for reopening at the moment, although we’re optimistic about being able to reopen as quickly as possible,” she said Thursday in an email. “It’s very important to us that team members can return as soon as possible. After a brief closure, our goal at Hob Nob Hill is to honor the rich history of the space, the brand, and the many people who have supported Hob Nob Hill, Dorothy’s Oven, Melody Grill, and Juniper Cafe for the past 80 years.
“This isn’t just about reopening a restaurant — it’s about preserving the homestyle experience and respecting the long-standing legacy that’s made this place so special.”
Hob Nob was last remodeled in early 2020 when the space was reimagined in a black-and-white color scheme meant to give the restaurant a quasi art deco, diner-like feel. It’s accented with a brightly colored mural of the “Wizard of Oz” characters, and a new bar was installed as well.
On the culinary side, the bakery program was expanded to include a wide variety of offerings, from house-made cupcakes, pecan rolls and fruit Danish to cheesecake and fruit tarts. While many long-standing, popular menu items remain, some of the fare was updated to include such dishes as chilaquiles, avocado toast, Cincinnati chili, and skirt steak, Warchol said.
While acknowledging the financial challenges facing restaurants these days, including rising labor costs, Warchol said the Hob Nob had three of its best years ever beginning in 2022. Revenue, she said, is up 30% since 2022.
“Dining out has become very expensive but Hob Not is not an expensive place to eat,” she said. “It’s more middle of the road. Everything is homemade and fresh. Nothing comes out of a can over there.”
Justin Earley, senior vice president of capital real estate ventures, who helped broker the sale, said the restaurant received interest from a number of people, including some who were more interested in leasing the space than necessarily retaining the Hob Nob brand.
“It was timing, and Doug Hamm happened to be in a position to buy it and he has other restaurant properties, so it’s a gift where the tradition will carry on, said Earley, who was a silent partner in the restaurant. “So we couldn’t have planned it better.”
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