One may have noticed Roasties, the new restaurant at 8915 Towne Centre Drive, or tried its signature all-day breakfasts. But less obvious is the unique story behind the casual Golden Triangle eatery. Owner Kirk Naylor, a La Jollan, is a fourth-generation restaurateur. His great-grandfather was a chef on the Union Pacific railroad from Chicago to California in the early 1900s, and his grandfather, “Tiny” Naylor, had a waffle shop in Reno and a self-titled chain of restaurants in Southern California. One Los Angeles history website, “L.A Time Machine,” states there is a Tiny Naylor’s Restaurant building still standing near the city’s Koreatown, and photos of his several other iconic retro-style drive-ins and eateries can still be found. But Kirk Naylor learned the ins and outs of running a restaurant from his dad, Chet Naylor, at the Beverly Hills Café chain. The La Jollan launched a catering business there, and Roasties will add to the more than 100 Naylor family restaurants in the past century.
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