Nearly three years after it was first announced, Spaghetti Western Restaurant & Bar is finally closing in on opening its doors in Old Town Newhall. Married restaurateurs AJ Gilbert and Martha Madison have planned the Italian restaurant for 22520 Lyons Avenue, right next to the Laemmle Theatre in Newhall Crossing, and they say the bulk of the construction work is now behind them.
The project has been in the works for a long stretch, as KHTS Radio reports, with the station noting the restaurant is preparing to open after nearly three years in development. Despite that momentum, the exact timing remains a bit of a moving target. KHTS reported a planned December opening, while a separate report from SCVNews says a confirmed opening date has not yet been announced. The restaurant's own website splits the difference somewhat, estimating an opening window of eight to 10 weeks while also acknowledging no firm date has been set, according to spaghettiwesternscv.com.
An Italian Restaurant, Not a Cowboy Theme
Despite the name and the Old West nods woven into its branding, Gilbert wants to be clear about what diners should actually expect. It's not a Western restaurant, Gilbert said. It's an Italian restaurant, per KHTS's reporting. The name instead nods to the Italian-made Western films that helped popularize the genre, with the restaurant's concept combining familiar Italian dishes with a playful atmosphere inspired by the intersection of Italian cinema and Santa Clarita's film history, the station reports.
That cinematic framing shows up throughout the design, which, per the same account, draws on 1960s Italian style and Santa Clarita's filmmaking history. Expect movie posters, local production imagery and projected films woven into the dining room, according to KHTS. The menu is expected to feature pizza, pasta, salads and grilled meats, with dishes like steak florentine, pollo al mattone and local seafood also under consideration. The owners plan to lean on fresh ingredients and familiar flavors rather than confining the menu to a single Italian region.
From Bay Area Kitchens to Broadway Bars
Gilbert and Madison aren't newcomers to the restaurant business. Gilbert began managing restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area in the early 1990s before founding the Luna Park Restaurant Group, while Madison got her start bartending in New York City while attending the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, the station's report notes. The two met in 2003 during the opening of Luna Park's Los Angeles location, married in 2007, and ran Luna Park together until selling the business in 2016.
Madison later worked as director of recruitment for One-Haus Hospitality before the couple moved to the Santa Clarita Valley in 2021 after years in the industry. They see Spaghetti Western as both a return to restaurant ownership and a chance to build something in their adopted hometown. Gilbert has said he wants the restaurant to honor behind-the-scenes production workers as well as the actors and directors typically associated with Hollywood glamour, describing Santa Clarita as a town full of below-the-line production workers.
Casual Vibe, Big Tables and a Founding Club
Madison has said the restaurant should feel fun and accessible rather than stuffy or pretentious, and the couple is aiming for a welcoming, informal spot suited to family dinners, birthdays, date nights and casual evenings alike. Plans call for dinner service six nights a week with Mondays off, plus brunch, and the cocktail program is expected to balance sophisticated drinks with playful creations. Gelato sundaes topped with Italian cookies, chocolates and syrups are also reportedly on the table for dessert.
The space is designed to handle both intimate meals and larger gatherings, with indoor and outdoor seating and the ability to accommodate parties of 24 or more, Gilbert has said. Takeout and catering options are also planned, rounding out a service model built for everything from a quick weeknight bite to a full celebration.
Ahead of opening, the restaurant has rolled out a Founding 600 Club, limited to 600 memberships, as SCVNews reports. The Trailblazer tier costs $200 and includes $300 in dining credit, one Founder hat and two preview-party tickets, while the more exclusive Gold Rush tier, capped at just 30 memberships, runs $400 and comes with $600 in dining credit, two Founder hats and four preview-party tickets.
The buildout arrives as Old Town Newhall continues working through the aftermath of a fire that tore through a nearby business complex in August, destroying several establishments including the Newhall Refinery, according to the Los Angeles Times. The City of Santa Clarita has since published guidance aimed at supporting the district's recovery. Against that backdrop, a long-awaited new restaurant finishing its build and edging toward opening gives the neighborhood something to look forward to, even if the exact date on the marquee isn't locked in just yet.
