Photo via lostfresno.com

A story about the power of names and a third-generation restaurateur’s effort to deal with a difficult history made our Executive Dining Guide email newsletter today.

Chad Stevens, owner of Chad’s Café in Santa Barbara, talked to sfgate.com about the chain of diners started by his grandfather in the late ‘50s that spread throughout the country to more than 1,100 in its heyday.

That also included several locations in the Fresno are that are remembered fondly by residents of a certain age.

The chain was called Sambo’s, a derogatory slur for people of African descent as well as a character in an 1899 children’s book — a dark-skinned South Indian boy featured in the dining room’s early decor.

The restaurant was popular in Fresno, as evidenced by its two pages on the lostfresno.com website, which is a haven for nostalgic residents remembering the hangouts of their past.

The restaurant chain began to face backlash and protests in the 1970s because of the name. By the early ‘80s the chain was posting regular losses and collapsed soon after.

The original Santa Barbara location, still named Sambo’s, remained in the family under Chad Stevens. In 2020, after the George Floyd protests, the city asked them to change the name. Now it’s called Chad’s Cafe.

“Our family has looked into our hearts and realize that we must be sensitive when others whom we respect make a strong appeal. So today we stand in solidarity with those seeking change and doing our part as best we can,” the owners said in a social media statement at the time.