Mark and Maureen McGowan opened Graffiti almost three years ago, and already, the Petaluma eatery has become a choice meeting point for locals and travelers alike. “We have a steady local clientele,” says Maureen, “but also, since Petaluma is a nice midway point between Marin County and Santa Rosa, many people choose to meet in the middle.”
Originally planned as a Petaluma Boulevard brewpub to be called “American Graffiti,” the McGowans decided to go upscale when riverfront property in the same building came available before they began construction. Now, in warm weather, the restaurant’s outdoor patio (with a view of the Sonoma Mountains and the Petaluma River turning basin) is a popular destination. Businesses and groups can request the private banquet room, which accommodates up to 40 people and is equipped with a large, flat-screen TV with front plug-ins (to work with DVD players and other graphic displays).
Executive Chef Randy Sommerville works with Mark McGowan (who has a culinary degree and close to 15 years’ experience in restaurant management) to design Graffiti’s culinary offerings. Lunch fare includes soups, salads, tapas, sandwiches, pizzettas and larger plates (called “Big Bites”). Main menu elements change about twice a year—spring/summer and fall/winter—but desserts, side dishes and accompaniments are often updated to include what’s fresh, local and seasonal. But the food at Graffiti isn’t the only element to shift with the seasons.
The McGowans work closely with the Petaluma Arts Council to display and promote an array of works by local artists. “When we switched from the brewpub idea, we considered new names, but we really liked ‘Graffiti,’” explains Maureen, whose background is in law, economics and finance. “And when I looked it up in the dictionary, it’s true meaning was ‘the use of a public forum for artistic expression.’ That just seemed to fit with what we wanted to do as far as promoting local artists.” All art on display at Graffiti is for sale (the restaurant receives no commission).
Graffiti is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week and, given its location right on the edge of Petaluma’s new theater district, expect the place to benefit from increased foot-traffic in the area.
