Ruby’s maintains ‘40s style after 25 years

A lot has changed since Doug Cavanaugh opened the first Ruby’s Diner on the end of the Balboa Pier 25 years ago, but the menu description of the 1940s-style restaurant’s classic RubyBurger — Cavanaugh’s favorite — remains the same: simple and delicious.

Over the years, the restaurant chain’s original menu of burgers, hot dogs, fries, chili and chowder has evolved to include fish tacos, a Chinese chicken salad and quesadillas, and 44 more stores have opened in eight states since a 26-year-old Cavanaugh labored to turn an old, vacant bait shop at the end of the pier into an enticing eatery.

“The building itself was a major source of inspiration because it was built in the 1940s so it had this inherent streamline, modern design,” Cavanaugh said. “Because of its remote location, we were able to create a true experience so people would walk out to the end of the pier and become encapsulated in this 1940s environment.”

When Cavanaugh initially approached the city of Newport Beach about leasing the building, they weren’t interested. But after running a restaurant on Nantucket Island for a couple years, Cavanaugh came back with renewed energy and experience and the city agreed to the deal.

With the help of his junior high school friend Ralph Kosmides, now executive vice president of the company, Cavanaugh spent one year and about $80,000 to completely renovate the building after conducting extensive research on American diners.

Fortunately, his godfather was involved in the restaurant industry and shared a few tips — and recipes — to get the young entrepreneur started. Living on Balboa Island at the time, Cavanaugh got the restaurant’s chili recipe from a neighbor and his father helped develop the formula for the clam chowder.

“We did a lot of research to recreate it down to the most minute detail,” he said. “It was a real labor of love.”

When it came time to name the establishment — which sat 40 indoors and 30 on the roof — Cavanaugh looked to his mother, Ruby Cavanaugh, who had a great fondness for the 1940s era.

“Initially, she hated the idea, but she has grown to like it because when she goes to the restaurant, little kids will ask her to autograph their menus in crayon,” he said. “She still eats there all the time.”

Opening day of the flagship restaurant brought in $63, and by year two, annual sales exceeded $1 million.

As the company expanded throughout the 1990s, its restaurant menu, size and decor evolved, though the trademark red vinyl booths, white Formica tables and soda fountain remained.

In addition to the Shake Shack, the company now operates four Ruby’s locations in the Newport-Mesa area.

Expanding on their original vanilla, chocolate and strawberry shakes, the chain serves 20 varieties of shakes and malts, including pineapple, mocha and Butterfinger. And to celebrate the silver anniversary, Ruby’s Diner will offer a new variety — the Birthday Cake Shake — for a limited time.