{"id":85706,"date":"2025-05-06T10:36:34","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T17:36:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/?p=85706"},"modified":"2025-05-06T10:39:58","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T17:39:58","slug":"schooner-or-later-anniversary-history-long-beach-denise-lund","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/food\/schooner-or-later-anniversary-history-long-beach-denise-lund","title":{"rendered":"Schooner or Later, a beloved brunch spot that revels in Long Beach history, is turning 40"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Owning a restaurant wasn\u2019t something Denise Lund ever dreamed about growing up, but when she and her brother stumbled upon the opportunity, she found a job she really loves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt just kind of happened,\u201d Lund said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her brother Denny had an entrepreneurial spirit and was always searching for the right opportunity to start up a business. One day, while riding their bikes along the eastern edge of Alamitos Bay Marina, they found what Denny was looking for in a cozy, classic cafe overlooking the rows of boats docked nearby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pair bought what was then called The Little Ship\u2019s Galley, fixed it up and reopened it in 1985 as Schooner or Later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Decades later, Schooner or Later remains a popular brunch staple. Later this month \u2014 with an exact date to be determined \u2014  the restaurant will celebrate its 40th anniversary. There will be a balloon arch out front and some games with prizes throughout the day, but it will otherwise just be a normal day of serving the restaurant’s diner classics, Lund said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI’m not closing down, having a party or anything like that. I just want it to be a regular day that just kind of brings people in to be a part of it,\u201d Lund said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Denise Lund, owner, stands outside her restaurant, Schooner or Later, as it celebrates 40 years in Long Beach, Monday, May 5, 2025. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Schooner or Later has been open nearly every day for the past 40 years, only closing on Christmas and \u2014 until this past year \u2014\u00a0Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lund has been there through all of it and has always been very hands-on. After her brother\u2019s death last year, Lund became the sole owner and has no plans of leaving anytime soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is my life. This is my passion,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lund\u2019s favorite part is connecting with people and seeing how Schooner or Later has become a real place of joy for so many.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n Link<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI used to say people are thinking, \u2018Oh, should we go to Disneyland today, or Schooner or Later?\u2019 They’re both the happiest place to be for a lot of people,\u201d Lund said. \u201cIf we weren’t here, what would they do with their Sunday afternoons?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schooner or Later brings people from all over and can often have wait times of up to an hour during peak business hours, Lund said. Its homey lunch and breakfast fare was even featured on an episode of \u201cDiners, Drive-Ins and Dives<\/a>,\u201d which highlighted some of the most popular menu items including \u201cThe Mess\u201d \u2014 an egg scramble with ham, bell peppers, onions, potatoes and cheese \u2014 the Belgian waffle, and the turkey and ham club sandwich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though people come for the food, the positive atmosphere is really what keeps them coming back, Lund said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The outdoor patio with a marina view at Schooner or Later in Long Beach on Monday, May 5, 2025. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think we have a vibe that people really like,\u201d she said. \u201cI always said that we were like the place you would go [for breakfast] after you went out the night before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those who don\u2019t have time to fully commit to getting breakfast at a busy restaurant like Schooner or Later, a small coffee stand called The Little Later will be reopening in front of the main restaurant this weekend to serve coffee and small pastries to customers on the go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lund cares deeply for all her customers and the community, and she gives back to the city whenever they can, including supporting Cal State Long Beach for several years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe do care 100% at all times,\u201d Lund said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A classic jukebox in the dining room at Schooner or Later, which is celebrating 40 years in Long Beach on Monday, May 5, 2025. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With their long-standing community involvement, Schooner or Later just received a Legacy Business certification<\/a> from the city. To qualify for a Legacy Business certification, a business needs to contribute to a sense of history in the neighborhood, have distinctive features, support the neighborhood\u2019s culture, or actively work to improve the community. As of October 2024, there were 40 Legacy businesses in Long Beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lund hopes to apply for a historical designation soon as well to help preserve the restaurant\u2019s 65-year-old building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schooner or Later, 241 Marina Drive, is open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To celebrate, owner Denise Lund will be serving customers with the same joy and comfort she\u2019s dished out for decades.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":207,"featured_media":85693,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_":"","_author_alias":"","cap-aim":"","cap-description":"","cap-display_name":"","cap-first_name":"","cap-jabber":"","cap-last_name":"","cap-linked_account":"","cap-newspack_employer":"","cap-newspack_job_title":"","cap-newspack_phone_number":"","cap-newspack_role":"","cap-user_email":"","cap-user_login":"","cap-website":"","cap-yahooim":"","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_email_html":"","newspack_email_type":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_hide_page_title":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_show_share_buttons":"","newspack_sponsor_byline_prefix":"","newspack_sponsor_disclaimer_override":"","newspack_sponsor_flag_override":"","newspack_sponsor_only_direct":"","newspack_sponsor_url":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[1277,31926],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[32346],"class_list":["post-85706","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food","tag-anniversaries","tag-restaurant","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85706","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/207"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85706"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85706\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":85712,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85706\/revisions\/85712"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/85693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85706"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85706"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85706"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=85706"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=85706"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}