Long before Novo, Luna Red or Mint + Craft existed, Robin and Shanny Covey had a little health food store and garden café in Cambria called Robin’s Nest. There, they sold soups, salads and baked goods like tofu cheesecakes. “This was 1980-something, after all,” Robin says with a laugh.

In 1985, Robin and Shanny decided to go all in by opening Robin’s Restaurant in Cambria. “We did global vegetarian food because we were pretty much vegetarian when we opened, and we loved global flavors,” she continues.

“Looking back, we were ahead of our time I guess because now there’s the plant forward movement,” says Shanny. “It wasn’t something we thought about — it was just part of who we were. And the community really welcomed it.”

Eventually, Robin and Shanny offered more than just vegetarian food, opening three additional restaurants in San Luis Obispo over time. The personalities of these businesses are different, but the common denominator is always global flavors and market-fresh produce.

“I feel proud that we’ve taken empty buildings and businesses that were failing and made them alive again,” says Robin. “I’m also proud of the fact that we continue to support our local farmers. We still use as much of their produce as we can.”

“For me, it’s that we’re able to serve our guests and cover a lot of ground, reaching not just vegetarians but meat eaters, too,” says Shanny. “Plus, we’ve been able to grow in 35 years while still staying true to our passion. That’s a big accomplishment because we’re quite a bit bigger than when we started.”