Meet Cathy Gallagher of Jennings House Cafe in Point Loma

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cathy Gallagher.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Cathy. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
More than 20 years ago, while living on the east coast, I would occasionally visit a coffee shop in a small coastal bungalow that had a simple but delicious menu and a warm inviting feel. It drew in members of the community and kept them coming back! My own love for fresh, flavorful coffee, great food, and good conversation lead me to dream of one day owning a similar place.

In late 2016, I decided it was time for a career change. As I was exploring opportunities, the idea to open a coffee shop developed between my business partner and me. As we were considering a location for a startup, we learned that The Point Loma Living Room was for sale. Although we were both residents of Point Loma and had been to the Living Room before, we had little knowledge of the historical significance it held in the community but agreed that it was a hidden gem.

We took ownership on February 1, 2017, and immediately began interior renovations, while at the same time researching Frank and Inez Jennings, the original owners of the Jennings House. The House, built in 1886, is recognized by the San Diego Historical Registry as the oldest home in Point Loma. As such, we felt it was only fitting to focus our remodel on the Jennings family and the home’s history in the community by preserving the character and architecture and incorporating period lighting, ceiling fans, color schemes, and photography capturing Point Loma in the late 1800/early 1900s.

In keeping with this theme, similar exterior renovations took place earlier this year. Most recently, we went one step further in paying homage to the Jennings Family, true pioneers, entrepreneurs, and respected citizens of our community, by changing the name to Jennings House Café.

Aside from the new name, the Jennings House Café is much the same as it has been for the last year, a Café focused on providing excellence in food, beverage, and customer service in a warm, inviting space, much like being at home. Whether you desire to people watch on our patios (dogs welcome!), dine inside, or need a quiet work/study space, we have it all. Our Café is proud to feature Cura Coffee, a non-profit direct trade coffee company we have been board members of and supported for over 6 years.

Has it been a smooth road?
Generally, the road has been smooth. The biggest challenge would be the inherited perception that all of the Living Rooms are jointly owned, franchised, or in some other way connected. Although in the late 90’s they were owned by the same group, only 2 are today, while the others have been independently owned and operated for over 15 years, Point Loma is one of them.

This misconception has resulted in people attributing both good and bad experiences interchangeable between all coffeehouses, which has not always been beneficial. It also never reflected or focused upon the history of the home, its iconic presence in the community, or its uniqueness that sets it apart from other coffee shops in the area.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Jennings House Cafe features Cura Coffee as our house brand, with light, medium, and dark roasts brewed fresh daily. We serve breakfast all day and use only the freshest, highest quality ingredients in all of our menu items. We are proud to partner with several local small businesses French Gourmet, M & M Patisserie, Hazel & Jade, Pavona Dulce, and Bread & Cie, by featuring their products, such as quiche, pastries, cakes, pies, and baked goods, including many gluten-free and vegan options.

Recognizing those with dietary restrictions, we offer soy, coconut, and almond milk alternatives, delicious gluten-free bread and bagels that can be used in place of regular bread for all of our menu items, and a separate vegan menu that I recently created based off of our house menu. All of our salad dressings and sauces are gluten free as well.

Additionally, we are proud to offer homemade sausage gravy for our biscuits and gravy, homemade chili and daily soup options, with most soups being vegan and gluten-free.

We offer beer and wine, with happy hour specials from 3 – 6 pm daily.

Our Cafe strives to provide our customers with a unique experience in a comfortable, inviting atmosphere and excellent customer. We offer outdoor seating with music softly playing on our patios, as well as indoor seating in our livelier downstairs parlor area, and a quiet space to study or work in our upstairs library. We provide a home away from home. We also rent our upstairs for private events or business meetings, offering catering and AV.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
San Diego is a great community for any business.

Contact Info:

• Address: 1018 Rosecrans St San Diego, CA 92106
• Website: www.jenningshousecafe.com
• Phone: 619.222.6857
• Email: cathy@jenningshousecafe.com

Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.