PG’s First Awakenings to move to Monterey
Moving into the former Coco's at Lighthouse and David avenues will allow for about 30 more seats
After 28 years of serving breakfast and lunch at its American Tin Cannery location in Pacific Grove, First Awakenings is moving just a short walk away in what used to be a Coco’s restaurant and bakery in Monterey.
“Contrary to what people may think, we were not pushed out, we chose to move,” said Craig Bell, co-owner of the popular restaurant.
Bell said that both the American Tin Cannery developer Comstock Properties and property owner the Cannery Row Company
wanted to keep First Awakenings in its current location at 125 Ocean View Blvd., but “we saw an opportunity and wanted to take it.”
The new location at the welltraversed intersection at Lighthouse and David avenues in Monterey has provided space to create an outdoor dining patio that will be slightly larger than the existing one at their current location.
The new First Awakenings at 300 David Ave. will be able to accommodate about 100 people outside and about another hundred inside — yielding about 30 more seats than its old location.
The last day at the current location is slated for Tuesday and a soft opening at the new location is planned a week later, and running on all cylinders hopefully by mid-April.
Bell and his business partner Chris Ulrich have been co-owners and operators of two restaurants with the First Awakenings moniker — the second located at 171 Main St. in Salinas. Bell operates the PG location while Ulrich runs the other.
The restaurant’s two locations are popular with locals and visitors, serving old-fashioned, home cooking in a family-oriented setting.
Bell and Ulrich are pretty much lifelong friends as both started working as dishwashers in their teens and attended Carmel High School together. They worked at First Watch, the precursor of First Awakenings, for 10 years as managers, before taking over as owners in 1993 and changing the name to First Awakenings. Their second location in Salinas opened in 1995.
“When we were younger we had visions of owning a number of restaurants and retiring in our 40s,” said Bell.
But two restaurants turned out to be enough with the partners not planning to go for a third. Bell said their eateries provide a good living and give
them a chance to do more things in the community.
Currently, the Pacific Grove location employs 36 people and the Salinas restaurant 26.
Bell said he and Ulrich have an amazing staff that has been instrumental in navigating the rough waters of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re in it for the long haul and could not do it without them … they jump right in and do it,” said Bell.
First Awakenings has continued to be successful in both locations even under stressful circumstances
over the last year. The restaurants did experience having to impose short-term layoffs and reduced hours but managed to keep a good portion of their crews employed throughout the pandemic.
Bell said the decision to move to a new location was the right one. The First Awakenings owners were offered some great deals that Bell said would have helped him but not necessarily his staff. He believes the move will help all concerned.
“A well-kept garden yields more fruit than a large, unkempt one,” explained Bell.