Weezy's Expanding to Mill Valley this Summer

San Rafael's popular burger joint Weezy's Grass-Fed Shed is opening a second location in the former Hawk’s Tavern in Mill Valley.

Owner Louise Clow, a Sausalito resident, said she’s in the process of finalizing her lease at 507 Miller Ave. and hopes to open by June 1, or early summer.

“I’ve always been looking for a bigger place where we can accommodate kids and families,” Clow said. At 700-square feet and only five indoor seats, long lines are often part of the Weezy’s experience at 621 Del Ganado Rd. in San Rafael.

Clow has had her eyes on another location, but was waiting for the perfect spot.

“It’s like picking a dog, or a cat,” she said. “You don’t pick the dog, they pick you.” 

After reading the November 2012 Patch article about the restaurant developed by celebrity chef Tyler Florence closing less than a year after it opened, Clow decided to check out the former Hawk's Tavern space. As soon as she saw it, she knew it was what she wanted.

She fell in love with the rustic feel of the old wood, the cement floors, the countertops and the surprisingly simple kitchen.

“Once you peel back all the decorations, you just have that shed,” Clow said.

It’s about triple the size of her space in San Rafael, and she’s only leasing a portion of the building that includes the front section, the kitchen area, and a small dining area that will seat about 30 people. The main dining room is not part of the agreement, and there’s the potential for Weezy’s to put up a wall and for the owners to lease it out to another business, she said.

Clow said she also plans to get rid of the T.V’s and to open up the doors to take advantage of the veranda, which will seat about 40 people – and will include heat lamps.

Weezy’s is known for it’s smaller sized burgers and Clow said she plans to keep the same menu of natural beef from Prather Ranch, fries, and lemonade. There’s also a beer and wine license tied to the establishment, so she may serve alcoholic beverages down the road.

“That’s not my forte,” Clow said. “But yes, I think it will happen.”

She’s also looking forward to doing business with students from nearby Tam High. With a larger, 9-foot-long hooded grill, during busy lunch hours Clow plans to have two chefs and will create two lines. The first will be for traditional, specialized orders. The second will be prix fixe orders, and the plan is to keep the burgers and fries coming in more of a “grab and go” style for large crowds. Weezy’s will be open seven days a week, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

"Our motto is 'Slow Food - Faster,'" Clow said. "I'm not accomplishing that here [in San Rafael].

Weezy's is also the second burger place with plans to open in Mill Valley. Smash Burger is slated to take over the Caffe Oggi space in June. Clow said she sees the two restaurants focusing on different demographics, with Weezy's catering to a crows that enjoys smaller portions, organic food and inexpensive prices (burgers are about $3 a piece). 

Clow said she's about 75 percent toward her funding goal, and is still looking for investors. If interested, call 415-479-7433 or go to www.weezys-shed.com.

Check out what else is on San Rafael Patch:

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• Police Use Tray Liners at Free Dining Room to Get Message Out to Transients

• Yelp's Top 10 Restaurants in San Rafael: Do You Agree?

• Op-Ed: Quality of Life Problems in Downtown San Rafael

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