HUMBOLDT — The “coffee club” will be the last thing to move when H&H Grill moves to a new home at 719 S. Ninth St., Jackie Borjas jokes.
The tiny diner at 119 N. 8th St. has been a familiar spot not just for those who gather every morning for breakfast and coffee, but is currently one of the few restaurants in town. Owner Sandy Hurst has been serving food there for about 20 years.
Now, she’ll join forces with Borjas, her daughter, to turn a tragic situation into something positive.
Borjas lost her life partner, Todd Jay Brandon, a year ago, on April 15, 2022. Together, they ran TJ’s BBQ. Cooking was his passion; the restaurant fulfilled his dream. He renovated the former Pizza Hut on Ninth Street and the business opened in September 2019.
After Brandon’s unexpected death, Borjas knew she couldn’t run the business on her own and closed the restaurant. From there, she went to H&H Grill to help her mom.
Hurst, meanwhile, was at a crossroads. Her own building needed repairs. With Borjas’s help, H&H expanded hours and now serves dinner three nights a week.
Its success spurred Borjas to suggest the former TJ’s as the H&H Grill’s new home.
The family gave the matter a great deal of consideration. H&H is very much a family business. Along with Borjas, Hurst runs it with the help of granddaughters Linda Farrill and Amanda Bain.
Friday was the last day at the 8th Street location. The “coffee club” gathered for its final meal there before the doors closed.
Over the next week or so, the family will move equipment to the new building. That includes the grill, which Hurst insists is responsible for the cafe’s reputation for good burgers.
Borjas hopes the restaurant will reopen in a week or soon after, depending on when she is granted a license by the state after a final inspection.
“Our coffee guys can’t handle us being closed for more than a week or they’re going to be coming to our house,” Borjas jokes.
The new restaurant comes with a new name — H&H TJ’s Family Diner.
Yes, Borjas admits, it’s a bit of a mouthful. But the family wanted to honor both legacies.
HURST will continue to run the grill for breakfast and serve as hostess to greet customers. The staff will be the same.
