‘We would 100% do it again’: As Davenport Roadhouse changes hands, former owners reflect on five years

After steering the Davenport Roadhouse for half a decade, Christopher and Vanessa Chamberlain have sold the business and are moving on from the industry. This week, new owners will take the reins of the stately roadside restaurant and inn. 

It’s unclear who the new owners are, and Christopher Chamberlain declined to reveal their identity. “They asked me not to speak publicly,” he said. The transfer of ownership will take place on Wednesday. The Roadhouse will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday, and reopen Friday. 

The couple announced the decision in a Facebook post on July 8, and said that personal issues have drawn their attention away from the restaurant over the past year. “We decided it was time to move on. We would have loved to have been here for 20 years, but life goes on!” the post read. 

Christopher described owning the Roadhouse as “the best job I’ve ever had,” and said that their staff and the support of Davenport locals made the experience unforgettable. “Even with all the ups and downs, we would 100% do it again,” he said. 

Although their tenure at the Roadhouse was relatively brief, it was marked by three historic challenges. The Chamberlains purchased the Davenport Roadhouse in February 2020, just a month before the COVID-19 pandemic closed food and drink businesses throughout the country. For the first two years of ownership, they navigated takeout-only service and outdoor dining restrictions. 

In the fall of 2020, the CZU Lighting Complex fires ripped through the Santa Cruz Mountains, and the town of Davenport was evacuated. The fire came within a few hundred yards of the restaurant, and the resulting power outage caused all of the food in the kitchen to spoil. The Chamberlains also had to evacuate their own home outside of Scotts Valley with their two daughters for two weeks.  

“I remember the day we evacuated, the sky was orange and it was snowing ash everywhere; it covered the tables,” said Christopher. 

Less than two years later, the severe winter storms in early 2023 blew back a portion of the roof, exposing the inn’s nine bedrooms to the elements. The restaurant was able to remain open, but the rooms were destroyed. Repairs were completed that October at the cost of more than $1 million. 

Looking back, Christopher is good-humored about all that he and Vanessa have endured. “When I first started signing documents, I learned that there are clauses called ‘acts of God.’ I thought that sounded extreme. But then I learned what they were – catastrophic events outside of our control – and we had two of them in one year,” he said. 

The historic building has been the defining feature of the tiny ocean-facing town of Davenport for more than a century. Construction on the current iteration of the building was completed in 1977, when it was known as the New Davenport Cash Store. In 2006, new owners renamed it the Davenport Roadhouse at the Cash Store. Later, the Cash Store name was dropped. 

The Chamberlains are moving on from the restaurant industry for now – Vanessa has accepted a job at the Santa Cruz County Office of Education, and Christopher is taking a break – but they’re grateful for the memories they gained from the experience. “Vanessa and I have a saying that our goal is to be 90 years old and have stories to tell,” said Christopher. “We sure got a lot of stories from that place.”

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