ANTIOCH — When Mac’s Old House came on the market in June, Joe Martinez knew he had to do something to preserve the legacy of the beloved old-fashioned Italian restaurant that had been a staple in Antioch for decades.
In pursuit of that goal, Martinez partnered with his friend, Ron Harrison, to purchase the restaurant with a plan to revamp and reopen it sometime around June 2026.
“We got it because of the legacy of the Mac family,” said Martinez. “As soon as it came on the market, I told Ron, this is the one you got to buy, this is like a legacy for the community, and it cannot go anywhere.”
Built in 1925, the building required a major overhaul. Rather than a complete modernization of it, Martinez and Harrison are determined to preserve its familiar atmosphere.
“We are going to honor the charm of the building. When you walk in the door, you’re going to feel the same vibe, you’re going to see the picture of old Mac on the wall, we are going to have the same food with the same recipe,” said Martinez.
The duo will work with Rick Cook, former manager and head chef at Mac’s Old House, who will share recipes for classic dishes favored by patrons, such as minestrone soup and bread.
Renovation work is in full swing, with plans for new bathrooms, a new kitchen, and expanding the dining space, including more outdoor seating once permits are in place.
The restaurant spans a half-acre, but there are plans to expand it to a full acre through a lot-line adjustment, said Harrison.
Martinez and Harrison declined to reveal the amount invested in the remodeling, adding they have spent a “substantial amount” so far.
According to real estate records on file with Contra Costa County officials, the buyers paid $850,000 for the 3-acre property, which includes a 2.5-acre vineyard.
There are also plans to add more parking spaces.
“We are going to be doing DoorDash. … Everyone loves the bread and the soup, and we will be taking credit cards too,” said Harrison.
For decades, the restaurant on East 18th Street was a cash-only establishment, serving a dinner menu with prices ranging from $8.95 to $23.95, while drinks cost between $4 and $5 until its last service on June 22.
The reopening will also include lunch service, a shift from its former dinner-only schedule to better accommodate customer demand, said Harrison.
According to the restaurant’s website, the building was first built by Floyd “Mac” McKinney. He later converted part of his home into a bar and opened it in 1956, running it for 17 years before retiring.
In 1983, former owner Gary Noe purchased the restaurant and opened Mac’s Old House as it’s known today.
McKinney eventually built a small home behind the restaurant and would visit daily for a cocktail and dinner, sitting at the same table. After his death in 1994, the restaurant hung McKinney’s picture and obituary above that very spot in his honor.
Noe said he was ready for retirement and put the restaurant up for sale after running it for 42 years.
Although Martinez and Harrison are in the construction industry, this is not the first time Harrison has refurbished a restaurant.
Harrison and his partner, Sean McCauley, have remodeled several waterfront and downtown properties in Antioch, including the Riverview Lodge and Smith’s Landing.
They are also building another restaurant on G Street, which has yet to be named.
Once remodeling at Mac’s Old House is complete, Martinez and Harrison will transfer restaurant operations to Sheri Vallero and her children, Terriane Reed and Roger Born, who have experience in the food industry.
“We’ve had several different restaurants, and I was fortunate enough for them to ask me to be the operator,” said Vallero, who said she has been in the restaurant industry since she was 18.
This is the third restaurant the family will operate.
Earlier this year, they purchased the Original Mel’s Diner on Lone Tree Way. Before that, they ran Nana’s Place in Pittsburg before it closed in 2015.
The family is aware of the community’s expectations when Mac’s Old House reopens.
Born said they plan to retain about 90% of the vendors used by the previous owners.
“The nice part about this one is that it already has such a staple of what it is, and we are really trying to continue and honor that. I think that’s what the community wants,” said Reed. “I think we have a really good baseline of what our expectations are, right? And we’re really just trying to, you know, even improve on it even more.”
The operators also hope to introduce new menu items, such as sides and a kids menu, but emphasized that longtime patrons can expect their favorite dishes when they come in.
Pricing will also be “reasonable,” said Born.
“We’re locals. We’ve been here for 40-60 years, so we’re not trying to get rich quick off everybody,” said Born. “We want families to come in and go home full and have their pockets full.”
