Reinvestment over relocation

After years of speculation about a possible move west, Curtis Stone’s Gwen is staying exactly where it began: in the heart of Hollywood. The decision comes after the restaurant’s busiest year on record and a renewed commitment to the neighborhood that helped shape its identity. 

Ahead, the star chef reflects on why staying put mattered more than relocating, how Gwen’s butcher shop and live-fire cooking continue to anchor the concept and what reinvestment looks like for a restaurant built for longevity.

He also opens up about the realities of operating in Los Angeles: balancing bureaucratic challenges with unparalleled access to world-class ingredients and talent. 

—Interview by Kelly Dobkin, edited by Bianca Prieto

Gwen was going to move to the Westside, but now it’s not. What led to the decision to stay put?

Gwen has always been a restaurant that my brother and I care so greatly for. The initial intention was to open a restaurant that would live in Hollywood as a part of the community and fabric for decades, and so the idea of moving was heavy on our hearts. The community of Hollywood has told us loud and clear that they want us to stay, and the restaurant just had its busiest year on record. The team at Gwen is incredibly strong, and we felt that rather than move something that’s working, we felt strongly about reinvesting—staying put, improving the experience and remaining part of the Hollywood community that’s supported us from day one.

What do you have planned for Gwen moving forward?

The butcher shop at Gwen has always been the heartbeat of the restaurant. We are continuing on our quest to source the greatest raw ingredients and run a butcher shop with no waste, running a whole-hog charcuterie program, which we have plans to expand and extend. The cooking at Gwen has always revolved around live fire, so we are making more investments in the kitchen and giving ourselves some new and exciting tools. There will also be some adjustments to the dining room, some you will see, and some you will not, that will improve the style of service and the overall comfort of our guests.

What's the biggest challenge you face today when it comes to owning and operating restaurants in LA from a business perspective?

In California, we're super lucky to have access to some of the greatest ingredients in the world. We have passionate farmers and growers who give us, as chefs, the most beautiful gifts to cook with every day in the kitchen. And while operating a business in California is extremely difficult from a bureaucratic and political perspective, I still consider myself extremely lucky to be here cooking these wonderful ingredients, surrounded by talented professionals.

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The Prep is written by Kelly Dobkin and edited by Bianca Prieto