Georgia’s Restaurant does not stem from the deep south, but instead a suburb of Philadelphia where high school sweethearts Gretchen and George Shoemaker decided to leave the Keystone State and head west, settling in Lake Forest, CA. It was in their home, where George and Gretchen raised their three daughters, that Gretchen began her successful catering business built on family recipes that delivered a true home-cooked experience. Early every morning, Gretchen would rise to get a start in the kitchen with George by her side playing sous chef, as tunes of Teddy Pendergrass wafted through the air, harmonizing with the sweet and savory aromatics of Gretchen’s Southern soul cuisine. Then, after the untimely passing of George Shoemaker in the early 1990s, everything came to an abrupt halt as the Shoemaker family rallied around one another and Gretchen’s catering business was put on hold. Twenty years later, with all three daughters grown, second daughter Nika Shoemaker-Machado and her husband Marlon Machado approached Gretchen, now known to most as Nana, to all come together and fulfill her lifelong dream of sharing her food on a much grander scale than ever before and they introduced Georgia's Restaurant, a Southern Restaurant that celebrates authentic Soul Food, while sharing Nana Gretchen and the Shoemaker family’s story of survival, community and love.
Named in loving memory of patriarch George with the addition of a single letter from each daughter's name, the first Georgia's Restaurant in the Anaheim Packing District became a fast-casual restaurant specializing in Southern comfort food for the soul. "Georgia's Restaurant has given my mother a whole new zest for life," says Co-Owner Nika Shoemaker-Machado. "Over the last five years, I got to know my mom all over again as she blossomed and reacquainted herself with the joy of sharing her food with new and returning guests.” Mother and daughter both firmly believe that it is the little touches that keep their dedicated guests returning for another helping, like the real tableware and cutlery used for dine-in guests, and the authentic conversations generated when any or all of the three owners are at the restaurant, particularly Nana Gretchen, whose affection has earned her the nickname, The Hugger. “We are committed to ensuring that Georgia’s Restaurant captures the feeling of having a meal in our home,” adds Nika. Now, Georgia's Restaurant makes Long Beach their second home at the new burgeoning Long Beach Exchange (LBX) where they will be offering guests new opportunities such as dining al fresco on the new patio, and much more.