Flavors of Westwood: Mary and Robbs Westwood Cafe’s regulars define long history

High redwood panels and cozy lighting illuminate the bustling cafe on Westwood Boulevard. Mary and Robbs Westwood Cafe is a regular location for business luncheons for some, and for others, it’s a place to get together with the family for a dinner of all-American cuisine.

Though the ambiance is deliberate, David Hekmat, the owner of the cafe since 1979, said he bought the restaurant purely by accident.

Hekmat was not planning on being a part of the food industry; his decision to buy the restaurant was motivated by a desire to be close to his family. Less than four weeks after moving to an apartment in Westwood with his wife and daughter, Hekmat dined at the restaurant for the first time. The previous owner, who knew the guest Hekmat was with, told them that the restaurant was for sale. A month later, Hekmat was the new owner.

Mary and Robbs Westwood Cafe has survived at its current location on Westwood Boulevard for nearly 37 years, and has been around for longer. Starting out as a soda shop counter within a drugstore in the 1950s, the cafe made its debut as a full-service restaurant in the 1960s.

Hekmat said he considers his family and the restaurant the most important parts of his life. With hands-on management being one of his biggest focuses, Hekmat and, most of the time, his wife are in the restaurant every day until closing – the staff has become part of his family.

Most of the employees have been with the cafe for more than 20 years.

Among the most popular items on the menu are the fresh fish, the Reuben sandwich and the Ray’s Chicken Classic sandwich, a creation by Hekmat’s son.

“Through time, depending on what my customer base is, I’ve developed a menu so they feel at home and they feel like they can have good food with comfortable pricing,” Hekmat said. “The menu is so extensive that there is always something to choose for every taste and diet.”

The cafe’s high-quality food and flexibility may be the reason why so many customers have become regulars throughout the years, Hekmat said.

Hekmat said his customers are not just numbers – they are what keeps the cafe alive. Details of the customers’ lives – who they are, where they’ve been and why – define Mary and Robbs Westwood Cafe’s history.

“(The customers) get to know you. They share their family stories. They come with issues that I have experienced,” Hekmat said. “When they come in two, three times a week, you have no other choice but to get to know them.”