4 minute read
Business of the Year: McPhee’s Grill
McPhee’s Grill sits in the heart of Main Street in Templeton — and when you’re on Main Street, it’s a given that you have hometown values and good food. I think it’s safe to say that McPhee’s Grill holds up all of those expectations.
In May, McPhee’s Grill was honored as Business of the Year, a traditional award given by the Templeton Chamber of Commerce, who this year merged with Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce. It’s not the first time the restaurant has been honored with the award, but the feeling of being appreciated by the community hasn’t diminished.
“We love the community so much, and we love to see it come back to us,” said Max McPhee, who runs the restaurant with his dad Ian. “They appreciate us, and we appreciate them so much. It’s important they know that as well.”
In April, the restaurant celebrated 28 years since it first opened on Main Street in 1994. Ian McPhee came to the Central Coast after he was offered a football scholarship to play at Cal Poly. While at Cal Poly, Ian worked at Vista Grande on campus and gained more experience working for other restaurants in San Luis Obispo.
Those Cal Poly years led Ian to opening Ian’s in Cambria and then Main Street Grill. He operated the restaurants through the ‘80s before making his move to Templeton.
Many of McPhee’s employees have been there since the start.
“I have pictures of several of my guys in the kitchen holding me while I was in diapers,” said Max, “They have worked for us my entire life.”
Max grew up on Templeton’s Main Street and started working in his family’s restaurant when he was 13 as a busser. Now he works alongside his dad as the first face customers see when they enter the grill.
For some, working alongside their parents sounds like a nightmare. But to Max, he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“We work so well together it’s perfect — I’m in heaven,” he said.
Max goes on to describe the trust he and his father have with each other. While Ian has taken a step back to let his son take on more responsibility, there is always at least one McPhee there to greet you at the door.
To Max, McPhee’s embodies the hometown spirit. It is where people 36 | pasoroblesmagazine.com
can come to celebrate life’s special moments and also where they can be regulars, and everyone knows their name.
“My goal here is to make sure everybody feels as welcome as possible and feel at home,” he says.
Adding to its commitment to the community, McPhee’s strives to use as many local ingredients as possible. The restaurant has established great relationships with local producers of vegetables, cheese, wine, and almost anything it can get its hands on.
“We go almost out of our way to make sure we stay local,” explained Max.
Recently, the father and son expanded the McPhee’s restaurant family. In October 2020, Max and Ian opened the McPhee’s Canteen located in Tin City on Limestone Way in Paso Robles.
While McPhee’s Grill was closed during COVID shutdowns, Ian and Max got a little restless. They were presented with an opportunity to open a second location in Tin City, and that was that. Since its inception, McPhee’s Canteen has primarily been under Max’s care which has been fun and new for him.
The Canteen has become the McPhee’s lunch and weekend hangout spot for many locals. Being in the local beer district, Max tries to bring in some lesser-known local brews into the Canteen. Max has brought some favorite lunch menu items from McPhee’s Grill, which is not currently serving lunch.
Overall, Max and Ian are grateful for the community’s endless support, along with all the employees who have stuck with them for so long.
“I love the community and my employees,” said Max.
And McPhee’s commitment to Templeton is evident. Each year they host breakfast for the graduating seniors at Templeton High School. Often, that is the last day all the students will be together in the same room, and it’s a memory everyone counts on making. Some of us will even visit the grill twice on graduation day — no judgment there.
So whether you are in McPhee’s Grill to celebrate or for just a regular night, Max, Ian, and their staff are sure to make it a special one.
And Max will be there waiting to greet you at the door.
“It is so nice to see everyone’s smiling faces,” he said.
Ian (left) and and a younger Max McPhee at McPhee’s Grill in Templeton. Max started working as a busser at age 13 and now helps run McPhee’s with his dad
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