How we went from sweet to savory!

In November of 2016, Miguel and I decided to switch gears. Up until this point in our career we owned a bakery in Granada Hills which we successfully ran for 12 years. We knew it was time to switch to another passion and this next adventure meant creating a tavern. A place where we would share our favorite beers, explore cocktail mixology and prepare dishes that we love to eat

And so the adventure began… and the first gastropub would come to San Fernando! To launch we met with the amazing Michael Canepa, who introduced us to Aszkenazy Development. This was the first step in developing the grand plan.

The location of the bar is between two iconic streets: San Fernando Rd and Truman St. San Fernando Rd is known for its enormous offerings of bridal and quinceanera shopping in this downtown district to include new trends such as Throw Back Junction.  Truman St. is a mile long street that exclusively runs in the town of San Fernando. Another great draw for us was the ample, free parking with great lighting through our Truman entrance.

It’s been a crazy, fun and fulfilling experience. The initial move in was exhausting, the location had to be completely gutted and all cement removed. The interior and exterior walls were scraped of the stucco exposing the original gorgeous brick from the 1950’s. Ceiling pieces were torn out exposing original wood beams. It was a mess, a big mess for so long – but there was light at the end of the tunnel. The most intricate part of the project was that the plumbing and electrical that had to be laid out in the dirt running which ran in all directions. A big thanks to Eric Cartier and George Stranger. After that, fresh new cement was poured down.This was now the beginning of building the kitchen. We worked with the team from Chef’s Toys who helped design the layout. James was the architect who created the perfect layout to utilize every square inch of the 2,500 sq feet space.

From the very beginning, the support from the San Fernando Chamber of Commerce has been incredible. Some days it was guidance in making business decisions, and some days it was an encouraging word and a hug to keep going.

You may have seen Art (radio guy) hanging from scaffolding to carefully expose the original brick at the back entrance along with the stunning recreation of the original windows. We really owe a huge thanks to everyone for the incredible work they did.

Next, came the decor. Miguel and I researched the elements to tie in a light steam punk motif with modern industrial. It’s what we felt reflected the vision and essence of Truman House Tavern. Most of the pieces you see inside were created by Miguel (Executive Chef / Owner) and Daniel Rivero (Manager).

A main attraction we are continuing to work on is our bar, a massive solid wood bar, designed and built by Miguel with the help and guidance of talented Peter Yochim (A Founding Key Member). All iron work was done by Armen and Raffi of A&R Iron Wurx.

We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the Key Founding Members of THT. Who have purchased a wood tile engraved by Miguel and are displayed in the restaurant. Our Key Founding Members: The Ramos Family, The Oganyans, The Yochims, The Jaquez Family, The Caenn Family and Rivero Family as well as our original investor Caroline and Harold Woods.

Our story is just beginning. We hope that you’ll find Truman House Tavern to be your place of refuge, excitement, and good times. We look forward to making memories with you. As you can see, this establishment was the work of many people. This isn’t just ours, THT belongs to our community. This is your place.