West Coast Sourdough opens in South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - With the belief that a sandwich is only as good as the bread it is made with, West Coast Sourdough's founders still create sandwiches from its original sourdough start in San Francisco.

South Lake Tahoe has the newest franchise of the company to open and it is inside the Crossing at Tahoe Valley.

For franchisee Sherry Bhatia, the South Lake Tahoe store is her third, following two in Sacramento and she is preparing to open another new location in Rancho Cordova.

In her first two weeks in South Lake Tahoe, Sherry said everyone has been so welcoming and kind. She said people have told her they are glad she's open.

"The response from the community has been great," she said, smiling after the year it took to get open.

Getting to the opening date was a rollercoaster Sherry said, with regulations, contractors, and getting the space that had never been rented out before ready for a restaurant.

Sherry and her family have always loved South Lake Tahoe, making the trip a couple of times a year. The last time they were at the lake her mother and mother-in-law saw the empty space while they were eating at the neighboring Verder, telling Sherry that it would be great for a West Coast Sourdough.

The businesswoman started with West Coast Sourdough about 2.5 - 3 years ago but has been a franchise owner for several years and in the food business for 26 years. Previously she had locations for Pete's Restaurant and Brewhouse, Carl's Jr., and Mountain Mikes.

At this time, West Coast Sourdough in South Lake Tahoe will be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. They serve soups, salads, and of course, sandwiches. Besides the fresh San Francisco sourdough, sandwich bread choices include gluten-free, honey wheat, and marble rye. There are macaroni and cheese, bread bowls, fresh-baked cookies, box lunches, and kids' meals. Besides the Mac & Cheese, they offer three other soups a day. Every day the choices are tomato bisque, clam chowder, and butternut squash with apple, but there is also a daily soup special.

So far, the local favorite appears to be the cranberry turkey sandwich and the French dip.

For ease, there is online ordering as well as a description of all menu items on the local webpage, https://www.wcsourdough.com/lake-tahoe. They also take phone orders and delivery options are available.

Sherry is still looking for some staff members. She brought two from her Sacramento store and got them housing but there is room for others.

A native of India, Sherry has lived in the U.S. since she was 17. Her husband is from Livingston, Calif. and they raised their son in the Sacramento valley. The son is now a 21-year-old senior at the University of the Pacific where he is majoring in Business. Sherry is looking for a home in South Lake Tahoe and said she is "excited for the snow" since she has never lived in snow country before.

When decorating the South Lake Tahoe store Sherry was able to let the parent company know she was going to decorate it with Tahoe-style, and the blue tiles with a large photo of the lake make it fit right in.

West Coast Sourdough is located in the Crossing at Tahoe Valley, 2014 Lake Tahoe Blvd., at the Y.