Bread Head, known for its house-baked focaccia and towering grinders, began as a pop-up at Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles and is bringing its brand to Ventura County for the first time. The company plans to open its fifth location at The Lakes at Thousand Oaks, taking over the space once occupied by Umami Burger next to Erewhon, with an opening targeted for the second quarter of 2027.
The expansion was confirmed in a September 17 press release, according to Conejo Valley View, which reports the Thousand Oaks restaurant is expected to open sometime between April and June 2027. As WhatNow reports, Bread Head has signed the lease for the Thousand Oaks location and plans to submit project plans soon, with the team hoping to break ground by January or February 2027, per co-founder Greg Willsey. The Thousand Oaks shop will mark Bread Head's first restaurant in Ventura County, a milestone the brand has been building toward since expanding beyond its original Santa Monica home.
Willsey has personal ties to the area — he told WhatNow he and his family have spent Christmas in the Thousand Oaks area many times, and that The Lakes has been high on the brand's list of target locations since its launch. He said he's looking forward to customers eating on the lawn or watching an NFL game on the patio, as Bread Head plans to offer curated beer and wine selections alongside patio dining at the new spot. The Bread Head team reportedly toured The Lakes property more than a year before the announcement, according to the same report.
From Michelin Kitchens to Focaccia Sandwiches
Bread Head was founded by chefs Alex Williams and Jordan Snyder, who earned a Michelin star together before launching the sandwich concept, according to the company's About page. In 2023, the pair partnered with Greg Willsey and Michael Pasternak to form Bread Head Restaurant Group, with the stated goal of opening numerous Bread Head shops across the country. The company's first permanent restaurant opened in Santa Monica in June 2024 after running as a pop-up, the same source notes.
From there, growth moved fast. Bread Head expanded to Manhattan Beach and Westwood over roughly 17 months after that first brick-and-mortar opening, according to LAist, with the Manhattan Beach shop opening in June 2025 and Westwood following in November 2025. Williams told Eater LA in June 2024 that the goal was to turn Bread Head into the next sandwich chain, saying, “We'd love to see Bread Heads across the states.”
What's on the Menu
The Thousand Oaks menu is expected to mirror what's served at Bread Head's existing locations: the Calabrian Turkey, Muffaletta, Roast Beef, BLT, Turkey Pesto and Combo Grinder, plus rotating daily specials, according to the Conejo Valley Guide. Despite being Williams's least favorite sandwich on the menu, the turkey pesto has become the chain's top seller, per LAist's earlier reporting. Everything starts with the bread — a custom focaccia baked in special pans every few hours, sourced with ingredients from local suppliers.
Bread Head is known for sandwiches served on house-baked bread that Eater LA described as falling somewhere between focaccia and ciabatta, the Conejo Valley View report notes. The brand's founders have said they intend to keep Bread Head founder-led and self-funded rather than franchising the concept or taking on outside investment, even as the company adds locations across Southern California.
Woodland Hills Opening First
Thousand Oaks won't be the next stop on Bread Head's expansion map. The company is planning to open its fourth Southern California location in Woodland Hills in December 2026, ahead of the Thousand Oaks debut, according to FastCasual. That restaurant will sit at 6316 Topanga Canyon Blvd., in a space formerly occupied by Veggie Grill at Topanga Village.
The Woodland Hills location is expected to offer indoor and outdoor seating, large televisions including NFL Sunday Ticket, and a curated beer selection, according to a company announcement carried by PR Newswire. That lineup echoes some of what Willsey described for the Thousand Oaks patio, suggesting Bread Head is leaning into a sports-bar-meets-sandwich-shop format as it grows deeper into the San Fernando and Conejo valleys.
For Thousand Oaks diners, the wait will stretch into next year, but the pieces are falling into place. With the lease signed and plans headed toward submission, Bread Head's leadership has said its goal for the new shop is straightforward: deliver the same high-quality sandwiches and customer service that built the brand's following in Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach and Westwood.
