March 10, 2020 – Cue lots of ambition and heart. The new owners of the venerable Davenport Roadhouse have both in spades. And they also have a sense of what it takes to succeed in the often volatile hospitality landscape.
Vanessa Kerr Chamberlain and her husband, Chris Danger Chamberlain, have eyes wide open as they take over day-to-day operations at the Davenport Roadhouse. The couple, who lives in Scotts Valley with their two daughters, fell in love with the Davenport Roadhouse the moment they saw it. “This place has such good bones!” says Vanessa, who is originally from New Zealand.
The opportunity just looked a wee bit too good to turn down for the Kiwi, who spent a good deal of her childhood moving round the world with her ambassador parents. “I love the beach here, too!” says Vanessa. “The area has such charm, and it’s so close to Scotts Valley, but feels like a different world.”
The couple has a background in hospitality, she as a flight attendant with Delta airlines. Later, she worked in the education field as a first grade teacher. Chris has a graphics background and works in the video game industry: he’s creating a new logo for the place, which will roll out soon on the new sign they plan to install outside.
Many other changes are coming, including some necessary renovations and freshening up. Meanwhile, they are getting their arms around the whole process. For now, they’re sorting out all the systems, and figuring out what works and doesn’t, and what needs improvement in the 12-room inn and restaurant. Vanessa, with yellow notepad in hand, also has a bookkeeping background, which is already coming in handy, as she runs payroll, handles the accounts and reservations and generally runs the back of the house. Chris seems eager to tackle anything else that needs to be done, including IT support.
The goal is to show locals more love with special hours and menu items geared towards them. “We plan to keep the music program, with more new bands,” says Chris. They’re reviewing the menus and kitchen procedures, but are happy they have a good staff and a great space in which to work.
One of their first changes was to launch a Local’s Happy Hour from 3pm to 6pm Tuesday to Friday, with special prices on beer, house wine and cocktails along with a selection of appetizers like the Roadhouse’s popular Truffle Fries, Buffalo Wings, Calamari and Crab Cakes.
Running their own business is something the Chamberlain’s had been planning for some time, still, this has come at an accelerated pace.
“We started talking about something we’d do once our girls graduated high school.” says Vanessa. “Considering they are still in middle school, we are about 10 years early on our plan!”
About the author
Laura Ness is a longtime wine journalist, columnist and judge who contributes regularly to Edible Monterey Bay, Spirited, WineOh.Tv, Los Gatos Magazine and Wine Industry Network, and a variety of consumer publications. Her passion is telling stories about the intriguing characters who inhabit the fascinating world of wine and food.
