From Fremont Diner to Boxcar to Lou’s Luncheonette

Erika and Chad Harris closed their roadside restaurant, Fremont Diner, without warning in June 2018. Their next iteration in the 2698 Fremont Drive space, Box Car Chicken and Biscuits, opened in September 2018.

Late last month, the Harrises were at it again with a third rebranding of the space.

Their new concept, Lou’s Luncheonette, has the same team but longer hours and an expanded menu with some of the lowest prices available at a non-chain restaurant in Sonoma. Many items on the menu are $6 or less. A cheeseburger is $4.99. In the new year, the couple plan to add house-smoked pastrami sandwiches and BLTs.

Erika Harris says that Lou’s is focused on local, seasonal ingredients.

Harris said that new signage is coming soon, as well as a few others changes.

“We put the bar back in since I think a lot of people who come in solo were missing that option and it was nice to open the kitchen back up,” she said. “We’ve been making small tweeks slowly, fixing the tables, new bar stools, etc.”

She said that they changed the name “to reflect a broader menu and style of service,” and Lou is a family member.

The luncheonette is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and on Fridays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Breakfast is served from 8 to 11 a.m. The Harrises hope to eventually open on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. as well.

The couple also own Jack’s Filling Station at 891 Broadway, a rework of the old 76 station now known for its retro décor, savory snacks and candy and beer and wine to go.

Learn more online at lousluncheonette.com.