Opening Summer 2025

A Taste of History

The Woolworth’s Building Luncheonette is a cozy corner of history accessible to all. Indulge in familiar favorites with flavors that evoke memory and joy. The Luncheonette is your home away, a storied slice of Bakersfield.

Now Hiring

A Gathering Place for Generations

Luncheonettes were the beating hearts of Woolworths all around the world. They were communal gathering spots, places where history was made. They held a deeply personal and collective significance for the communities they served.

The Luncheonette of the Bakersfield Woolworth resounds with decades of memories. From back-to-school shopping excursions with our grandparents to milkshakes shared with our families, the Luncheonette is more than a place to eat, it’s a repository of our childhoods. The Woolworth’s Building and its Luncheonette belong to the community and it’s our distinct honor to be able to safeguard and ensure its future significance for generations to come.

We’re hiring friendly, dependable team members to help bring the Luncheonette back to life. Come be part of something special in downtown Bakersfield.

Please email your completed application to richard@historicwoolworths.com

Chef Spotlight

Meet Richard Yoshimura, Culinary Visionary

Inspired by The Woolworth's Building’s role in Bakersfield’s history, Yoshimura looks forward to serving the community which he now considers his true home. He wants to honor Bakersfield’s history by contributing to the storied legacy of The Woolworth’s Building one bite at a time.

His vision for the menu centers on quality, simplicity, and nostalgia.

"The burgers must be simple, but simply good — like biting into a memory."

Richard Yoshimura, head chef and culinary visionary, was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. The son of a Japanese immigrant mother and a Japanese-American father, his path to the culinary world was anything but straightforward. A history major at UCLA, Yoshimura originally planned to become a professor. But after graduating, he found himself drawn to his true love: cooking, baking, food.

Despite his parents’ reservations, he pursued his passion and graduated from culinary school. Yoshimura began his career with the esteemed Patina Group under head chef Joachim Splichal in the late-1990s. He climbed the ranks to become pastry sous chef before moving on to roles at top-tier restaurants, including as executive pastry chef at the iconic Milk in Los Angeles.

At Milk, Yoshimura met Jessica Pounds and the two set off to realize a shared dream. That shared dream is the beloved local staple Moo Creamery, which Yoshimura ran alongside Pounds for nine years. After a period of transition, he returned to Los Angeles before an unexpected opportunity brought him back to Bakersfield: The Woolworth’s Building Luncheonette.

Initially hesitant, Yoshimura was won over by Emily and Sherod Waite’s passion for restoring the historic landmark and their emphasis on its civil rights legacy. This resonated deeply with Yoshimura, whose family history has been shaped by systemic injustice. As a boy of eleven, Yoshimura’s father was interned, along with his parents, at the Manzanar War Relocation Center during World War II as part of the internment of Japanese-American citizens.

“My grandparents lost everything. But it’s important to acknowledge past tragedies. If we never acknowledge them then we’re unable to accept them and if we can’t accept them then we can’t move forward.”

With this firmly in mind, and with knowledge of the F. W. Woolworth Company’s role as a site for the historic Greensboro, North Carolina, sit-ins, Yoshimura signed on to usher The Woolworth’s Building Luncheonette into a new era.

Chef Richard's Story

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The past isn’t just a memory, it’s a place to gather. Welcome to the next chapter of a storied space.

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Chef Richard Yoshimura smiling in the Woolworth Luncheonette

A hamburger and fries withe the tagline "New burger, old soul"