January 28, 2025 – Carmel Belle—a Monterey Bay institution built on fast-casual organic breakfasts and lunches—is changing hands again.
After five years at the helm, owners Lokman Balaban and Meghan Rasmussen are selling to longtime hospitality professionals Jeff and Chantal Nelson. The deal is expected to close escrow in about two weeks.
The Nelsons, who live in Carmel Valley, currently operate a catering business called Rising to the Occasions, and Jeff has held restaurant management positions at The Quail and Bernardus Lodge. Most recently he was food and beverage manager at Bayonet & Black Horse golf club in Seaside.
“Carmel Belle is a great place with wonderful food and atmosphere,” says Nelson. “I like that it’s quaint and always filled with local people.”
Semi-hidden inside the Doud Craft Studios on San Carlos Street, Carmel Belle is known for its hearty breakfasts, soups, salads, smoothies and espresso drinks. There’s an open fireplace in the middle of the dining room and the walls are always covered with the work of local artists.
From 2009 to 2020 it was owned and developed by Jay and Chloe Dolata—a dynamic couple dedicated to local produce and artisanal ingredients, who went on to start Elroy’s Fine Foods grocery store in Monterey.
The new owner has been working the counter with Rasmussen for the past two weeks to get a feel for the place and says he’s been hearing nonstop from customers about their favorite dishes, along with heartfelt requests not to change them.
“We’re going to keep it the same and build on what’s been created here,” says Nelson, adding he hopes to expand the offering of baked goods at some point.
Turns out he’s a baker himself and latched onto the sourdough craze during the pandemic. He’s nursed his sourdough starter over the years and nowadays turns out artisanal sourdough loaves, Parmesan olive bread, focaccia, cinnamon rolls, baguettes and burger buns that he sells to neighbors.
“It’s not unusual to see me proofing bread in the car while I drive our son to water polo practice,” he says.
Nelson is a native of Colorado and self-described “ski bum” who got his start in hospitality working at the ski resorts in Vail.
About the author
At Edible Monterey Bay, our mission is to celebrate the local food culture of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, season by season. We believe in sustainability, and we believe everyone has a right to healthful, clean and affordable food. We think knowing where our food comes from is powerful, and we hope our magazine, website and newsletters inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers, fishers, chefs, vintners and food artisans.
