Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Fitzgerald.
Hi Justin, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve been working in hospitality since I was 16, 22 years. Between hotels and restaurants, customer service has been my entire work life. I genuinely love interacting with new people on a day to day basis and being able to bring them an enjoyable meal, conversation, experience whenever they walk through our doors. I met my wife 8 years ago and we instantly connected through our careers as she was managing her family’s restaurant, Esau’s Cafe. Her parents, Scott and Arti Stanley bought Esau’s nearly 50 years ago and have kept it operating between Santa Barbara and Carpinteria for that entire time. Roughly 2.5 years ago I made the decision to come on full time at Esau’s and begin the process of learning the business in preparation for Taylor and I to take over as owners of the business. As of January 1st, 2026, we officially purchased the restaurant from Scott and Arti and have taken ownership. Esau’s is special, and you can feel it when you come in from the staff, decor, guests, and food. We honor the old-school diner experience and cherish the family-owned small business setting that we provide to all of our patrons. It’s truly a declining experience in America and we’re holding on strong to remaining true to our roots, keeping in touch with the personal touch that you won’t get in corporate chain establishments. We get to know locals and visitors on a personal level and hope to engage each guest with care and compassion so that every person that visits leaves with a great experience.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It’s the restaurant industry, it’s never smooth. This is an incredibly high stress, hard on the body, emotionally and mentally draining career. There are many times when I question why I chose to do this to myself and then I have an amazing conversation with a guest, or someone raves about our food or staff and any doubt I may have had instantly dissipates.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
At Esau’s we try to stay very true to an American diner. Scratch made food, big portions, and a relaxing atmosphere. The difficulty I faced when coming on board at Esau’s was how to improve without changing too much. The restaurant had been operating for nearly 50 years at that point, so don’t fix something that’s not broken. At the same time, restaurants must evolve in order to stay alive. I believe that’s my specialty. Finding new techniques, new recipes, new flavors that don’t take away from what has been built but add to the foundation. I strive to be as efficient as possible in both the kitchen and front of house. I believe that’s why this move was the best possible for me and Esau’s, because I didn’t need to start from the bottom, I got to tweak and tinker with an already solid base, and improve it along the way.
What makes you happy?
Family. Connection. My wife and my 2 kids are everything for me and bring me more joy than I thought possible. As an extension of that, the people that we meet in the restaurant are our family. I think that’s why I do this day in and day out. The connections, the joy we can bring to people on a daily basis is something that most people don’t get to experience in their working life. I get to bring comfort and joy to people and watch it in real time. It’s a pretty amazing opportunity we get.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://esauscafe.com
- Instagram: Esaus_cafe
