Longstanding Hermosa Beach restaurant Martha’s is expanding this summer. It will open at 1810 S. Catalina Ave. in the Riviera Village in Redondo Beach. The space was last home to Spanish-French restaurant Gabi James, which closed its doors in late April after an eight-year run. The Martha’s team is working on preparing the space for opening next month, co-owner Hilary Condren told What Now Los Angeles.
Condren and his team became the owners of Martha’s, which opened in Hermosa Beach in 1984, about a decade ago. After riding the chaotic wave of the COVID-19 pandemic that rocked the restaurant industry for years, Condren said the business has finally normalized enough to pave the way for expansion. He was drawn to the Riviera Village because of its proximity to Hermosa Beach as well as its lively energy.
“Redondo has a vibrant village. Their downtown, their heartbeat is on fire,” Condren said. “Part of it is because they’ve made a decision to maintain the outdoor dining that they provided to all the restaurants during COVID.”
While other beach cities have largely removed the temporary outdoor dining spaces put in place during the pandemic to allow businesses to operate, the Redondo Beach City Council decided this month to extend the outdoor dining deck program in the Riviera Village for the next five years. Condren sees this development as part of what keeps the Riviera an energetic community ideal for a new opening for Martha’s.
Nestled between Fringe and Redondo Beach Brew, Martha’s Redondo Beach will take over a 5,000-square-foot building, with square footage split across two floors. The upstairs space was another major selling point for the Martha’s team, who have long been seeking a way to incorporate private events into regular offerings for the business.
The Martha’s team recently announced that they have tapped Johnny De Vivo, who formerly worked as the executive chef at Rolling Hills Country Club, as the executive chef for the brand. The restaurant will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, offering a classic American grille menu featuring approachable dishes such as smashburgers, chicken dishes, baby back ribs, steak, pastas and short ribs. Expect to see some dishes from the team’s Hermosa Beach Italian restaurant The Bottle Inn sprinkled into the menu, as well.
The space will stay true to the Martha’s brand, maintaining a green-and-white color scheme and an airy, fresh, coastal casual atmosphere.
As Martha’s prepares to open in Redondo Beach, Condren feels the brand is primed for expansion. The team is hoping to open three additional locations in the next three years, eyeing spots along the coast as far north as Santa Barbara and as far south as San Diego.
“We love the brand, we love the menu and we love the vibe,” Condren said. “It is definitely something we are proud of and want to duplicate.”
