FORT BRAGG, CA., 7/1/26 — Deep forest green walls, a working woodstove, vintage artwork and a spacious deck overlooking the Noyo Harbor give Floyd and Connie’s an atmosphere both upscale and relaxing. The day that owners Stephanie Butler and Nick Dorgan can put a claim on a restaurant of their own has been long in coming. The pair are aiming for a reservation-only soft opening around July 9, followed by a full opening on July 16.
Butler and Dorgan have spent the past several years building a loyal following through their Floyd and Connie’s pop-up dinners from their own kitchen and later from Cafe Beaujolais. Finally, after transforming a long-vacant harbor building, they’re preparing to welcome diners into a permanent space of their own.
Butler and Dorgan’s path to opening their own restaurant began long before they found the waterfront building. The two met while attending culinary school in New York City in 2009 before spending years cooking in New York and San Francisco, where they met Haley Samas-Berry, a Mendocino Coast native and owner of Fog Eater Cafe in Mendocino.
Butler, who is originally from Sacramento, said she grew up visiting the Mendocino Coast, and it had always felt like somewhere she wanted to be. That familiarity, coupled with Samas-Berry’s encouragement and local success in the restaurant industry, pushed Butler and Dorgan to finally take the leap.
After moving to Fort Bragg during the pandemic, they became familiar faces in the local restaurant scene, working at establishments including Cafe Beaujolais and Fog Eater before launching Floyd and Connie’s pop-ups in 2022.
Working with a small oven and an induction burner, the pair prepared the food from their home every week, serving dinners with a different menu each time. As word spread, the events drew a loyal following, eventually leading Cafe Beaujolais to invite them to take over the restaurant on Sunday and Monday nights.
This is when the pop-ups became productions of their own. Butler and Dorgan brought in their own staff, dishes, linens, wine and decor, transforming the restaurant every week before packing everything up again at the end of Monday night.
Dorgan said setting up and breaking down the restaurant every week felt like producing a Broadway show. Butler recalled someone comparing pop-up chefs to “the Marines of food service” – able to walk into an unfamiliar kitchen and execute a full dinner service before moving on without a trace.
“It was unique, and now we know why nobody does it,” Butler said. “It’s because it’s very hard.”
A hidden treasure
When the couple found the harbor building listed on Craigslist in late 2025, they immediately saw its potential despite it having sat vacant for more than two years. Tucked behind the Snug Harbor Tiny Home Community, the building isn’t immediately obvious from the road, but Butler and Dorgan were drawn to its waterfront location and large deck overlooking Noyo Harbor. They received the keys on Christmas Eve and spent the next several months transforming the space into the restaurant they had imagined.
“We wanted it to feel warm and welcoming. We’re telling people it’s like a sexy mid-century steakhouse,” Butler said.
The dining room balances deep green walls with vintage artwork and wood accents, while an expansive deck boasts sweeping views of the harbor. Even the bathrooms have their own personalities, their walls covered floor to ceiling with vintage magazine clippings.
Butler and Dorgan emphasized that the restaurant is personal, down to the last touches. Even the restaurant’s unique name is after Dorgan’s grandparents, Floyd and Connie, and family touches can be found throughout the space.
“We liked the name because we wanted to bring in some of his family from back east, and we liked the sound of the names together because it’s evocative of a different time,” Butler said. “We have light fixtures in the dining room that my grandfather made, and pictures of us graduating from culinary school. It’s very personal.”
Butler and Dorgan describe the menu as “updated American classics with a twist,” featuring local seafood, seasonal produce and a full cocktail menu. Signature dishes include hanger steak with scallion butter, a Dungeness crab dip inspired by Fort Bragg’s love of crab wontons and a rotating selection of vegetable-forward dishes.
“We do a play on wontons, because wontons are a unique Fort Bragg thing,” Butler said.
Whenever possible, the restaurant will source ingredients locally, partnering with farms including Nye Ranch, Mist Farm, Elderflower Farm and others throughout Mendocino County. Butler said working with nearby growers and producers allows the menu to evolve with the seasons while supporting local agriculture.
For Butler and Dorgan, however, the restaurant is about more than the food.
“We’ve always wanted to be in Fort Bragg,” Butler said. “We want this to be a community restaurant.”
While summer visitors are always welcome, the couple said they hope Floyd and Connie’s becomes a place locals return to throughout the year.
Floyd and Connie’s is still hiring, particularly for kitchen positions. Those interested can email Butler at connie@floydandconnies.com, and diners can join the restaurant’s mailing list at floydandconnies.com to receive updates and be notified when reservations become available.