Eat at Clark's opens in downtown Stockton with high hopes of being 'blessing to community'

Catering couple Andre and Marissa Clark never planned to open a restaurant.

“It kind of just fell into our plate," Marissa said.

The husband-and-wife duo were looking for commercial kitchen space to expand their almost decade-long catering business when they came across the former space of Bento Japanese Cuisine in downtown Stockton at 357 E. Market St.

They moved in last November and got the space cleaned up. On Jan. 1, Eat at Clark's opened its doors to family and friends only. Last week, the Clarks were ready to go public and began to welcome customers.

Those with a growling stomach can savor a chicken salad in a croissant, a wrap, or in lettuce, a tri-tip sandwich, a meal prep from the grab-and-go fridge, Flamin' Hot Cheetos- or Takis-flavored chicken wings, mac and cheese, and even barbecue.

Chef's specials and more coming to menu

But their menu is still not finalized. Southern-style cooking is only one idea the Clarks have for their menu.

"We like comfort food, but we also are real people, and we like food that real people make at home,” Andre said.

For years as caterers, they took direction from their customers, who told them what to prepare. As first-time restaurateurs, that decision is now theirs to make. But it has not come easy to them, with so many ideas to choose from.

Gumbo, is one of the new dishes Andre is looking forward to introducing their customers. An opportunity to add new flavors to the menu will also come with "chef specials" the couple wants to introduce weekly.

Amber McClain has been a customer for more than eight years, she said.

"I love their mac and cheese but also during like Thanksgiving, they do the turkey dinner," McClain said. "It's really good."

Taking a chance on downtown Stockton

Opening their first restaurant in downtown Stockton is a leap of faith. Their vision is to reenergize the area with the positive vibes they bring to their block.

"We want to be a blessing to the community to come … a lot of people may have shied away from opening a business here (in downtown) but we look at it like, 'how can we make it better,'" Marissa said.

They hope their food can attract those with an appetite to make their trip to the downtown.

For now, the Clarks do it all, from taking orders, to cooking, to running the cash register and everything that comes with the responsibility of operating a business.

They are in the process of receiving some additional help through the 1,000 Internship Initiative, a San Joaquin Delta College program that provides paid internships for students.

“I think it's a win-win for our business, and for the community, as well as Delta College,” Andre said.  

They are hopeful about hiring two intern students to help with the front and back ends of the business. That means their duties could include, cooking and running the cash register.

This restaurant is a family business

The restaurant is open 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekdays. It's only open for three hours each day because the couple is still working out after-school care for their children.

The Clark's catering business is Think Inside the Bun, which they started out of their two-bedroom apartment almost 10 years ago.

They decided to change their already-known catering name to something more fitting for the new restaurant. The family of five has a teenage son Andre Jr. and two younger daughters Olivia and Zoe.

“These kids are a big part of it, whether they know it or not yet. And you know, as they grow, they'll learn more about it and how to operate it. So, maybe this can be handed down to them," Andre said.

For more information, visit Eat at Clark's on Facebook. For catering services, email andreclark@eatatclarks.com.

Record reporter Angelaydet Rocha covers community news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at arocha@recordnet.com or on Twitter @AngelaydetRocha. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.