THE HORSELESS CARRIAGE SITS AMID A FORD DEALERSHIP IN THE LOS ANGELES SAN FERNANDO VALLEY. | PHOTO BY LISA JENNINGS
a bank of vending machines, Galpin buyers and service customers can sit down to a draft kombucha, a cappuccino with freshly baked biscotti at Fika in the Volvo dealership (“fika” means coffeebreak in Swedish) or—for the elite buyer—even a high-end Japanese whis- ky in a James Bond-like showroom staged like a bank vault with the latest Aston Mar- tin glittering on a pedestal. Galpin also licenses a Starbucks outlet and a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in some of its buildings. “Everything has a little touch of food and beverage,” said Euceda. In addition, Euceda’s food-and-beverage team juggles the catering of various events, from the launch of new cars or the dealer- ship’s annual car show, to F1 race viewing parties. Once a month, Galpin hosts a Cars and Coffee gathering for car lovers and their vehicles that typically attracts up to 4,000 people. It’s big business. Euceda said the Horse- less Carriage alone does about $3.2 million in sales annually. Overall, food-and-beverage sales bring in more than $5 million for Gal- pin. And Galpin is not alone in seeing an op- portunity with foodservice. In nearby Ventura County, a Bunnin Chevrolet dealership reportedly hosts the
barbecue concept R+Q Kitchen. In Charlotte, North Carolina, a Town and Country Ford dealership has created a brick-and-mortar home to a favorite food truck concept. In Sarasota, Florida, another Ford dealership boasts the Le Mans Kitchen restaurant, though it’s for customers only and not the general public. A Sacramento Mercedes- Benz dealership is known for its pizza. The car-themed Ford’s Garage, a full-ser- vice chain based in Tampa, is also growing quietly. Founded near car pioneer Henry Ford’s winter home, the concept has no affil - iation with the Ford Motor Co. But the auto- maker got curious about the brand and later signed a licensing deal with the chain. Now a Ford’s Garage operates across the street from the car brand’s world headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, and dealers are looking to bring the brand into their facilities. At Galpin, one of the largest car dealer- ships in Southern California, some of the res- taurant outlets are tucked into showrooms with no real street presence. Others, like the Horseless Carriage, operate as independent restaurants. Guests come and go from a sep- arate entrance, without having to navigate hovering sales reps. But Euceda is clearly well integrated into dealership operations. Walking through the various properties with him, he is greeted
warmly by staff, with sales reps thanking him for taking care of buyers to help clinch deals. On social media, the Horseless Carriage is touted as a local gem for those in the know. It’s largely a breakfast and lunch concept. The restaurant closes at 8 p.m., but offers early bird prime rib specials, starting at 4 p.m. and the menu (rather comically) offers dishes like surf-and-turf, with a whole lob- ster-topped steak. “I run out of it all the time,” said Euceda. “People love it.” On the second floor of the Ford dealer - ship is a bakery operation, where pies and cakes are produced daily. Euceda said he’s talking with a local coffee roaster about cre- ating a Galpin brand of coffee to further ex- tend the brand. On Yelp, the Horseless Carriage has a 4.5- star review average, with many commenting on the “hometown vibe” or noting that their meal was comped as they waited for their car to be serviced. “The food is much better than you’d ex- pect,” said one recent review in The Infatua- tion . “Slide into one of the aqua-colored bar seats, order scrambled eggs with chunks of sweet lobster, and let the guy next to you ex- plain how they don’t make engines like they used to.”
APRIL 2026 RESTAURANT BUSINESS
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