Scott and Rosemary McIntosh ( left ), owners of Reunion Kitchen & Drink ( above ); right : the Dad ’ s Mai Tai cocktail at Reunion |
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BUILDING A BRAND For Scott McIntosh and his wife , Rosemary , co-owners of Reunion Kitchen & Drink and Asada Tacos & Beer , both at Boat Canyon Shopping Center in north Laguna , it ’ s been a long road building their small chain of restaurants .
After working his way up through the ranks to the executive level at Claim Jumper , assisting well-known local restaurateur David Wilhelm ( French 75 , Sorrento Grille , Jimmy ’ s Famous American Tavern ) and helping to establish Nick ’ s — which was started in Laguna Beach by the son of
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Claim Jumper founder Craig Nickolofff — McIntosh decide to open his own venture , Asada , in 2011 on South Coast Highway . That space had been vacated by Javier ’ s , an upscale Mexican restaurant that moved to Crystal Cove Shopping Center and expanded from there ; Javier ’ s now has six locations including Las Vegas and Los Cabos , Mexico .
Asada proved popular , but after two years , had to close due to unresolved issues with the landlord . And McIntosh had to file for bankruptcy . “ I sunk everything that I had into that place at the time , including kids ’ tuition for college ,” McIntosh says . “… It was really hard for me to decide this was what we were going to have to do . But , … I learned this is what it ’ s really going to take to make it work going forward .”
It wasn ’ t long before a former investor invited him to open a new concept in Anaheim Hills . “ And so I penciled out Reunion ,” McIntosh says . “… It ’ s basically a reunion of all the different items that worked for me in the past . You name it , from the butter cake to the meatloaf .” The
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mostly comfort food haven — think pot pies , rich and flavorful USDA Prime burgers and Rosemary ’ s fried chicken with sausage gravy — was a hit . McIntosh expected to make $ 3 million in the first year ; the restaurant raked in $ 5 million .
Reunion has since grown to four locations including one in Corona that opened a few months ago . And , of course , one in Laguna . “ I think there was a certain amount of trepidation after I [ closed Asada there ] and I think , for me , it was a personal challenge [ to come back and ] … make it this time ,” he says . And he knew
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LEFT : COURTESY OF REUNION KITCHEN & DRINK ; TOP AND RIGHT : BOB HODSON PHOTOGRAPHY |
48 LAGUNABEACHMAGAZINE . COM |