Elena and John Duggan each raised their children in San Francisco’s West Portal neighborhood and grew up nearby. The siblings and third-generation operators of the Italian-American institution Original Joe’s always felt like it was underrepresented compared to other restaurant-dense neighborhoods, though that has changed in recent years, with a flood of new businesses. The Duggans are part of that surge. Since the pandemic, they’ve opened Little Original Joe’s, a market with to-go pizza, and Elena’s, a Mexican restaurant. They now plan to debut a third spot: Original Joe’s Cable Car, a fast-casual grill that will specialize in burgers, chicken tenders and milkshakes.
The goal is to create “something parents can take their kids to, and kids can drag their parents to,” John Duggan said, “and hopefully create a concept they can come to weekly.”
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“Or twice a week,” Elena Duggan said, noting that the neighborhood is full of kids, many who stop by Little Original Joe’s regularly for a slice of pizza.
Original Joe’s Cable Car will open in late 2027 at 385 West Portal Ave., the former Clay Oven space next to Little Original Joe’s. John Duggan (no relation to the reporter) said the new restaurant will be “convenient, casual and fun,” with a menu of all-American classics and a cable car theme…