Pilot Light restaurant opens in Half Moon Bay

A new restaurant called Pilot Light at the Half Moon Bay Airport is now open, offering contemporary American fare surrounded by natural beauty and aviation activity.

Shoshana Wolff is the owner and general manager of the newly opened Pilot Light at 9850 Cabrillo Highway in Half Moon Bay. The unique location at the small but scenic Half Moon Bay Airport offers a large outdoor patio overlooking the runway and planes taking off. Counter seating faces the tarmac and floor-to-ceiling windows were designed to enhance nearby views of the airport, highway, farmland and mountains. Wolff and her husband focus on finding restaurant locations and building a restaurant around the place. They were attracted to the beautiful rural setting, the standalone 1940s building and the area’s overall charm. They focused on expanding window space to create an open and airy feeling, with the tables facing scenic views.

“We are dreamers. We are constantly thinking about different kinds of restaurants that we can open, so when we saw this space, we came up with the idea of a casual, counter-service breakfast and lunch place because it fit the location really well,” Wolff said.

The restaurant opened Jan. 28 for a soft opening that will continue until early March, when it plans to be fully open. The name honors the location while referring to the oven light cooking that will remain the menu’s focus. The current soft opening hours are from Thursday and Friday from 9-10:30 a.m. for breakfast and 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch. It is open Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. More hours will be announced soon.

The initial enthusiasm for the restaurant was a pleasant surprise, as she expected smaller crowds initially. The restaurant is stocking up on equipment and increasing staff training to handle large volumes of customers. The restaurant has constantly been busy over the last week, with Wolff hopeful the initial surge will continue. Wolff has seen a wide range of customers due to its airport location, but she also wants it to be a place for locals who have been supportive in its early stages.

“It’s been incredibly busy way beyond our wildest expectations. We’ve met hundreds of people there,” Wolff said.

The current menu is being updated based on customer feedback, with plans to add fish tacos, glazed chicken wings and salmon gravlax in the future. Options include a smash burger, impossible burger, sandwiches, soup and salad, eggs and pancakes and waffles, with plans to add more specials and seasonal twists.

“We’ve got lots of good feedback about what’s on the menu so far, and we are definitely planning to expand. We are going to add a couple of things each week,” Wolff said.

Wolff and her husband acquired the property after being interested in the charm of the building, and it is near their home in Montara. They were awarded the contract in November 2019, not long before the pandemic. Construction and permitting had to be shut down for months before work could continue during parts of the pandemic, with higher than anticipated construction costs. Pilot Light finally opened, albeit several years later than expected. Wolff also balances running All Spice restaurant in San Mateo, which had financial difficulties during the pandemic but remained open.

“We are thrilled that it is finally working,” Wolff said.

curtis@smdailyjournal.com

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