Chez Jay gets ready to officially celebrate their 60th Anniversary this coming Fall by kicking off the festivities with their new patio
Chez Jay, located in the heart of Santa Monica on Ocean Avenue, is Owned by Michael Anderson and now operated by his son General Manager Chris Anderson. Shortly after Chez Jay was named a Historical Landmark in 2012, The Backyard began as a vision that Michael Anderson had where he wanted to create a special experience for his longtime following of extremely loyal clientele so they could enjoy outdoor dining right by the Santa Monica ocean under the stars. M. Anderson set out to start this project, which he thought would be a great addition to Chez Jay and the City of Santa Monica, but the process turned out to take much longer than expected.
Michael’s son Chris Anderson joined his father at Chez Jay approximately two years ago as the General Manager where he quickly decided he wanted to help his father finish what he had started.
“This was not my first priority when I came on board at Chez Jay, but after seeing how much this meant to my Dad and realizing that getting this done was taking such a toll his health, I jumped in and did everything I could to help him finish this project and make his vision a reality,” says C. Anderson.
The Backyard was designed by Chris Anderson and Nataly Lopez with the thoughtful mission to create to a comfortable and welcoming gathering space for family, friends and longtime guests of Chez Jay. The space features picnic tables, couches, Adirondack chairs, fire pit, wine barrels, hanging vintage lanterns and string lights, large off-white canopy, and bright blue fence that backs up to Santa Monica’s Tongva Park.
Chef Guillermo De Arcos G, known as “Chef Memo,” is the special secret ingredient at The Backyard at Chez Jay. Having been in the kitchen at Chez Jay for over 27 years, he now has his son Guillermo De Arcos Jr. cooking by his side, making this a true family affair as he introduces the new Good Eats menu at The Backyard at Chez Jay.
Of course, The Backyard at Chez Jay is all about Good Drinks and the cocktails the Chez Jay team has created are no exception and the menu offers signature drinks.
The Backyard at Chez Jay is open every Wednesday and Thursday from 4 to 10 p.m.; every Friday from 4 to 11 p.m.; every Saturday from noon to 11 p.m. , and every Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. For more information, please visitwww.ChezJays.com or call Chez Jay directly at (310) 395-1741.
Submitted by Lawrence Moore
