ERVIN LEON SIMMONS 1916-1976

To help support his family, Ervin left 4th grade at the ripe old age of ten to start a long career in the restaurant business. By 16, he was cooking full time earning $2.00 a day and bringing home leftovers to help feed his 5 sisters. At 24, he met and married Agatha Bell Lancaster
(Grandma Gaye)— 2 days after setting eyes on her!

He traveled around Texas cooking here and there picking up the moniker “Lighting” for the speed he sent out orders. It was in Amarillo, he acquired the nickname “Hoover”. While playing cards with the locals, (who included LBJ our future president) Hoover was always cussing about the job President Roosevelt was doing. “Hoover is the man for the job!” he would claim. Because of this, he was tagged “Hoover” and much to her dismay, his wife became “Mrs. Hoover”.

Following Gaye’s family to California in 1960, Hoover worked at the 101 Café in Paso Robles and then in the kitchen at Cal Poly for 3 years. In February of 1966, Hoover went to work for Doc Wooten at Wooten’s Café. In April, he bought it and began fulfilling his dream of owning his own place, “The Hoover House Restaurant”.

Hoover and Gaye’s children and grandchildren grew up in the restaurant and have kept the family business going since Hoover passed away in 1976. With the reputation that is with us today of old fashioned cooking and impeccable customer service,
we are proud to carry on his tradition.

Hoover’s started out in downtown Atascadero in 1966. In 1975, we moved to the south end of town for almost 30 years. But we are back downtown in a beautiful building with great potential. We have added a brewery and nightclub to keep things alive in our small town. This is a perfect opportunity to check out the excitement in downtown Atascadero.
Our amazing staff at Hoover’s is here to provide you with fabulous service and an experience you’ll want to enjoy again and again.

If your lucky, you just may run into Mrs. Hoover (Grandma) out to lunch while running errands. At 91, she is still doing well and looking as amazing as ever! Definitely an inspiration to us all.

From fresh baked biscuits to grinding our own sausage and making our gravy from scratch, with very few exceptions, we do things the way Hoover did them:”The old fashioned way”. And as Hoover would say, “Don’t ask a boy to do a man’s job. See the man at Hoover’s”.

PS. Whatever you do, don’t get caught in Hoover’s seat when he’s ready for a break.