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Mind That Moves

Clay Bordan - Clay’s La Jolla, Penthouse of Hotel La Jolla

Clay’s La Jolla is the kind of spot a girl can come after work with her girlfriends, have a cosmo and not feel like she has to fight off battalions of lusty men. As Clay himself said, the place can have a ratio of 10:1, girls to guys some nights.

I don’t know about the rest of you fellas, but that sounds pretty good to this writer! Couple that with the huge appetizer list which is updated frequently and you have a winning combination. The food is presented as if it were a four or five star restaurant but priced competitively enough to put a grin on the face of the most seasoned happy hour veteran.

We had a chance to catch up with Clay and ask him a few questions.

Hometown: Palm Bay, Florida
Current residence: Carmel Valley
Why’d you move to San Diego? I wanted the California lifestyle.
Occupation: Executive Chef, and yes I do cook. It’s my favorite part of the job, much more so than the marketing side of things.
Single/Married/Family: Happily married, with one daughter.
Favorite hang-out: Work apparently; as that’s where I spend all my time!
Favorite drink at Clay’s La Jolla: Strawberry Fields Martini

What’s something only locals know about SD? Kaiserhof Biergarten (in Ocean Beach) is a great spot for a cold beer.

What did you do before you got into the restaurant biz? I was a chef all over the East Coast and Midwest. I did everything I could to not end up in the biz, but it just seemed it was meant to be.

How did you get into the biz? In high school I knew I wanted something more than the 9 to 5, so I started working to get something started. Some investors approached me about starting my own restaurant and everything fell into place. Once I got going I gave it all I had. I only have two settings: on or off. With the restaurant it’s on.

When did you feel like you had succeeded? When I knew the restaurant could run itself without me. That is possible now because I have a great team.

What made you choose La Jolla? A location opened up; I didn’t even know where it was. My investors said go for it and so I did.

What was one of the biggest hurdles you had to overcome? Reshaping the image of the location from a place where you took grandma for Sunday brunch to a regular happy hour destination.

Have you ever hit rock bottom? No, but we do have to overcome hurdles every week. No two days are the same in this business. When everything is running on all cylinders the restaurant is like a great play or ballet. All it takes to disrupt that is one mistake.

How do you stay inspired to go in and face those challenges day after day? I enjoy the challenge of the industry, staying ahead of the competition, to be a part of a great team and to have fun at work. I always strive to create a fun atmosphere for my clients and my employees.

What are your responsibilities? Cooking, which is what I love. I want to be able to provide new dishes for our customers so that they always have something new to try.

What was your best business decision? Not just providing dinner, but a huge range of appetizers as well. I find that the clientele that come in for our happy hours tend to be movers and shakers; they bring me a lot of business after coming for an after-work drink.

What advice would you give yourself ten years ago? Play the lottery more!

How many customers do you serve a week? 75-125 per weekday happy hour, 150-200 during weekends.

Any plans for opening more locations? Yes, we are opening a location in north Dallas, May 13th.

What’s next for Clay’s La Jolla? I would like to open another location in San Diego. I also plan on keeping our menu fresh with new offerings every two months.

Where would you like to be in ten years? Still in business!

Clay’s La Jolla
Penthouse of Hotel La Jolla
7955 La Jolla Shores Dr.
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 551-3620
www.ClaysLaJolla.com