When Guerneville’s Baked on the River cafe closed in late 2024, it felt like the end of a dream for chef and owner Helena Gustavsson Giesea. She had given up her lease with plans to relocate but when the new location fell through, she was left without a clear path forward. With no other option, she packed up her kitchen and put her equipment in storage.
“It was tough to pack up without knowing where we would be,” said Gustavsson Giesea, who opened Baked on the River in 2018.
As word of her plight spread, offers for new spaces rolled in, from Napa Valley to the Sonoma Coast. But there was one offer she couldn’t refuse — the R3 Hotel…