Roadhouse in the News
August 17, 2026
Sean Ahaus
Letter to the Editor: California Roadhouse on the Santa Monica Pier: Right to Recall, Labor Peace, and Public Leases
Good government protects the rights of everyone. It requires integrity, mutual respect, transparency, open dialogue, a willingness to listen with an honest desire to understand differing viewpoints, and clear communication before and after decisions are made. The best policies are created when differing viewpoints are openly discussed and given thoughtful, thorough consideration.
July 28, 2026
S.M. Next
Letter: California Roadhouse Invites the City Council to the Negotiating Table
Last month, the City of Santa Monica has terminated lease negotiations with California Roadhouse for the former Rusty’s Surf Ranch space on the Santa Monica Pier, saying the company failed to accept employee protection provisions required by the City Council, including worker recall requirements.
July 20, 2026
Sean Ahaus
Who Gets a Seat at the Table?
Dear Editor, Every important decision begins long before the final vote is cast. It begins with a simple question: Who gets invited into the conversation?
July 15, 2026
Sean Ahaus
California Roadhouse Remains Ready to Sign Lawful Lease
Dear Editor, Santa Monica has spent years talking about revitalizing the Pier, supporting local businesses, and creating jobs. Yet one of its most visible restaurant spaces continues to sit vacant while a project that could bring new investment, live entertainment, and more than 50 jobs remains stalled.
July 15, 2026
Plans for New Santa Monica Pier Restaurant Stall After Lease Talks Collapse
The dispute centers on labor peace and employee retention requirements included in the lease. City officials say those terms are non-negotiable...
July 14, 2026
California Roadhouse Founder Publishes Open Letter Urging Resolution of Vacant Restaurant Space
SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Sean Ahaus, founder of California Roadhouse, Inc., has released an open letter calling on Santa Monica city leaders to resolve the long-running lease dispute over the former Rusty's Surf Ranch restaurant space on the Santa Monica Pier.Beaches & Islands.
July 14, 2026
Sean Ahaus
Sean Ahaus writes about the delayed opening of the California Roadhouse at the Santa Monica Pier
Dear Editor, Santa Monica has spent years discussing economic recovery, support for local businesses, and revitalizing the Pier. Yet one of the Pier’s largest restaurant spaces continues to sit vacant while a project capable of creating more than 50 jobs remains at a standstill.
April 14, 2026
Matthew Hall
Lease for California Roadhouse stalls after labor union opposes terms
Six months after being selected as the new tenant for a vacant restaurant space on the Santa Monica Pier, California Roadhouse owner Sean Ahaus is still waiting for a draft lease with the latest delay coming after labor union Unite Here Local 11 secured an emergency meeting with senior city staff days before a scheduled City Council vote that prompted officials to pull the item from the March 24 agenda entirely.
January 8, 2026
Historic Santa Monica Pier Building to Become Route 66–Inspired California Roadhouse
New Dining and Entertainment Venue Led by Local Restaurateur Sean Ahaus Is Slated to Open in Spring
November 23, 2025
Matthew Hall
New Restaurant to Replace Rusty's on Santa Monica Pier
The Santa Monica Pier marks the symbolic end of the road for Historic Route 66 but proprietors of The California Roadhouse, a new restaurant and entertainment venue replacing the recently closed Rusty's Surf Ranch hope they can keep the party going with the preservation of live music over the Pacific Ocean.