Club Pheasant’s Replacement Is Coming To West Sacramento. It’ll Have Some Work To Do

The West Sacramento City Council spent $3.4 million to preserve Club Pheasant’s spirit after the longtime Italian restaurant closed at the end of 2022. Now, it’s ready for a new concept to move in.

The city council voted Wednesday to hire Turton Commercial Real Estate to market Club Pheasant to potential new developers and operators.

“What we’re trying to do is achieve a better experience for residents that live in the West Sacramento community, and hopefully (attract) some place that is iconic enough or unique enough of quality that it attracts people from outside the West Sacramento area as well,” said Ken Turton, founder and president of Turton Commercial Real Estate.

There’s no answer yet on what will replace Club Pheasant, but there are some hints.

The city council is looking for a family-friendly food and beverage operator that’ll honor Club Pheasant’s legacy while renovating the space for modern audiences, Turton said. A strong outdoor experience is essential, as is some level of affordability and accessibility for bicyclists and pedestrians.

George and Luisa Palamidessi opened Club Pheasant as the “Hideaway Cafe” in 1935, and the restaurant remained owned by the Palamidessi family through 87 years and four generations. Housemade ravioli, garlic steak sandwiches and an old-fashioned bar defined the beloved restaurant.

The city council will pay Turton $100,000 to bring a new business or businesses to 2525 Jefferson Blvd. Club Pheasant was in a 8,452-square foot building and sat on a 2.15-acre lot.

There’s still a huge kitchen and lots of dry and cold storage, making the space a good fit for a high-volume restaurant. But the overall layout, outdoor patio, lighting and finishes are in need of modernization, including some which must be brought up to code, Turton said.

“There’s definitely lots of lifting that needs to be done, but the bones are solid, the history is great and it’s in a great location,” Turton said.

The Palamidessis announced Club Pheasant’s end-of-year closure in June 2022, and were slated to sell the building to local development firm Ridge Capital, which planned to demolish it. The city council then swooped in and bought Club Pheasant for $3.4 million in November, retaining control over what would be done with the historic property.

“No matter who does anything there, they’re going to have to maintain some level of continuity in concept to pay homage to Club Pheasant, because Club Pheasant played an integral role in the history of West Sacramento,” Turton said.

The Bee’s Brianna Taylor contributed to this story.

This story was originally published October 2, 2023, 5:30 AM.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misstated the duties and financial obligations of Turton’s contract with the city of West Sacramento.

CORRECTED OCT 4, 2023