The Samoa Cookhouse at 908 Vance Ave. in Samoa. | Photos by Isabella Vanderheiden.

###

What’s going on with the Samoa Cookhouse?

The question burbles up in Humboldt Facebook groups every few months, and, like clockwork, dozens of nostalgic locals race to the comment section to reminisce about the “famous” French toast and speculate about the status of the major restoration project that shuttered the restaurant in May 2023. Given that construction has yet to begin, many have wondered whether plans for “Camp Samoa” — a reimagined version of the cookhouse with overnight accommodations — are still underway or if Danco Group has quietly scrapped the project.

The Outpost rang up Danco on Monday to get an update on Camp Samoa. The good news? The project is moving forward and permitting is nearly complete. The not-so-good news? It’s still not clear when the cookhouse will reopen.

“Once the financing and permitting are finished, construction will take place, but there’s no actual date [set],” said Rikki Larsen, Danco’s controller and collections specialist. “It’s just taking longer than expected because there are so many variables.”

During a recent appearance on a local podcast, Dan Johnson, founder and president of Danco Group, predicted that construction would begin “this fall,” but said the timeline is hinged on business permits.

Larsen was hesitant to share any additional details about the project, though she did mention that she will manage Camp Samoa once it’s fully built out. “I can’t wait to get going,” she said. “[This development] is going to bring new life to the Samoa community … and there will be more places for people to stay. I’m super excited.”

A posted advertising “Camp Samoa” near the entrance of the cookhouse. A banner proclaiming “An updated dining experience coming 2024!” has since been removed.

The cookhouse property — along with the rest of the town of Samoa — is owned by the Samoa Pacific Group, of which Johnson is a principal owner. Samoa Pacific Group bought the 135-year-old establishment from Redwood Restaurants a few years before the renovations were announced, but plans for Camp Samoa have been in the works for decades.

The Samoa Town Master Plan, first drafted in 2002, provides a roadmap for expanding Samoa’s commercial offerings, public services and housing options. The draft master plan identified the cookhouse property as a potential location for new apartments, but the California Coastal Commission tweaked the plan in 2010 to add low-cost visitor-serving units instead.

Camp Samoa includes 75 accommodations: 40 cabins, 15 campsites and 20 hostel rooms on the second floor of the cookhouse, which was historically used as sleeping quarters for loggers and millworkers. 

Asked about plans for the updated cookhouse, Larsen said the all-you-can-eat lumberjack-style dining “will be available in some form.”

“We’re just not at the stage where we can provide all the details,” she said. “The goal is to preserve all the artifacts and the history [of the cookhouse], and to create a space where people can come and visit and just feel like they’re part of it.”

###

PREVIOUSLY:

###