BiteClub

Pearson and Co. sold to Keller

Cafe and catering biz stays in SoCo hands

Popular cafe and catering biz Pearson and Co. has been sold. Current owners Mike and Kendra McCoy, who purchased the business in 1999, will turn over their five Sonoma County locations to Chef Josef Keller. Yes, the same Josef Keller who ran Josef’s in Railroad Square for more than a dozen years and was a fixture in the local dining scene for decades.

“We were approached by Josef and Jill Keller to purchase. It was an easy choice for us. It was time for us to retire,” said Kendra McCoy.

BiteClub hasn’t yet reached Keller for comment, but McCoy said the cafes and catering business won’t change immediately, though Keller will likely take over operations in the next week or so and add his own touches.

“He’s anxious to get started,” said McCoy. “Josef is very interested in doing more of the takeout biz rather than the fine dining he did in the past,” she added.

Keller retired from Josef’s in April 2010, followed by a stint revamping the menus  for The Council on Aging’s Meals on Wheels program. One of the largest meal providers in they county, he oversaw preparations for nearly 1,000 meals a day and got used to more everyday cooking like turkey meatloaf, chicken curry with basmati rice and beef Stroganoff.

As for the McCoy’s next chapters: “I want to clean my  house. I’m just interested in simplifying my life quite a bit,” said Kendra.

Pearson and Co. locations include cafe and coffee carts at the Stein Complex on Old Redwood Highway at Santa Rosa Kaiser Permanente, 2500 Mendocino Ave. and the original location at 2579 Fourth St. in Santa Rosa. The original cafe opened in 1996 as one of the first gourmet take-out cafes in Sonoma County by Larry & Karen Pearson.

Have a P&Co. fave that you don’t want changed? Sound off!

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Comments

24 thoughts on “Pearson and Co. sold to Keller

  1. Whatever you do, PLEASE do not stop making the awesome foccacia bread! It is the best in the area and nowhere else can I just get a slice of foccacia bread for a dollar when I have a craving (which is fairly frequently)….and the foccacia bread sandwiches, especially the mozzarella/basil/tomato one, are AMAZING!!

  2. “Pearson and Co. sold
    Keller takes the reigns”
    So there’ll be a Queen Elizabeth Sandwich now?
    Or at least until the rain is reined in?

    1. I don’t write the headlines in the paper. The editors rewrite what shows up there to be more “newsy” and not quite so…i don’t know…Biteclubby.

    2. It was on the on-line website where I read of the
      new owner’s “reigns.” Looks like the same
      impaired proofing system is shared by print and
      on-line whoevers.

  3. Reign, rein, rain

    The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain…

    I noticed another headline on the PD’s web site with the word “reign” instead of “rein”. The headline editor/proofreader has a bit of a problem, ha!

  4. I love pearsons and only believe it will get better now. everyone was bummed to see Josef retire and I cant wait to see and taste what he is going to do. Total faith

  5. Josef, your retirement was short-lived. I know, we think of it as the R word too. LOVE Pearsons, always a go-to place for a great lunch/sandwich. Please keep the tuna sandwich on multi-grain and the BLT w/ avocado on the menu and don’t tweak them. thank-you very much. 🙂

  6. Josef, your retirement was short-lived. I know, we think of it as the R word too. LOVE Pearsons, always a go-to place for a great lunch/sandwich. Please keep the tuna sandwich on multi-grain and the BLT w/ avocado on the menu and don’t tweak them. thank-you very much. 🙂

  7. Reign, rein, rain

    The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain…

    I noticed another headline on the PD’s web site with the word “reign” instead of “rein”. The headline editor/proofreader has a bit of a problem, ha!

  8. “Pearson and Co. sold
    Keller takes the reigns”
    So there’ll be a Queen Elizabeth Sandwich now?
    Or at least until the rain is reined in?

    1. I don’t write the headlines in the paper. The editors rewrite what shows up there to be more “newsy” and not quite so…i don’t know…Biteclubby.

    2. It was on the on-line website where I read of the
      new owner’s “reigns.” Looks like the same
      impaired proofing system is shared by print and
      on-line whoevers.

  9. I love pearsons and only believe it will get better now. everyone was bummed to see Josef retire and I cant wait to see and taste what he is going to do. Total faith

  10. Whatever you do, PLEASE do not stop making the awesome foccacia bread! It is the best in the area and nowhere else can I just get a slice of foccacia bread for a dollar when I have a craving (which is fairly frequently)….and the foccacia bread sandwiches, especially the mozzarella/basil/tomato one, are AMAZING!!

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