David and Debbie Shahvar have built a family legacy together. Its roots go way back to their college days when each of them worked in restaurants to pay their way through college. In 1980 David was the regional manager at Smugglers, Inc., a steakhouse in southern California. Debbie was a waitress, still in college at Cal Poly Pomona. She shares they story of their first meeting,
“One day, I was asked to wait on him while he was having lunch with my boss—and I accidentally spilled part of his meal on his lap! That must have made an impression, because a few days later he asked me out. Our first date was at a Chinese restaurant, where David told me he was ready to settle down and wanted six kids! While we didn’t quite make it to six, we’ve been happily married for 44 years and raised three wonderful children together.”
The Shahvars moved to northern California in 1984 when David, who was then working for El Torito
restaurant, was transferred to San Leandro. After living in Dublin and San Ramon and years of working for large restaurant corporations, they decided to take the leap and open their own restaurant. They purchased Buttercup Kitchen on North Main Street in 1988. “We envisioned a
casual welcoming place where families could gather and enjoy scratch-made, homestyle food,” adds Debbie. “In the early years I was a stay-home mom. As the business grew, I became more
involved and eventually took over recipe development and menu design. After 8 years on North Main Street, they moved the restaurant to Ygnacio Valley Road, where they are still located today. In 1999, they decided to move their family to Walnut Creek to be part of the community they served. They chose Northgate for its good schools and family-oriented culture.
Their three kids attended Northgate High School, where Jon and Ben played football, and Jessica was a cheerleader. Over the years they changed the name to Buttercup Diner and Bar to better reflect their mission of being like an East Coast Diner where food is made from scratch. The menu is full of homestyle classics like meatloaf, turkey dinner, pork chops, and burgers, sandwiches and salads. Breakfast options and homemade pies are also served. They have also added locations in Oakland, Concord and Vallejo. All three of their kids have joined the family business; Jon and Ben run the business operations and Jessica, who attended culinary school, now handles recipe development. Debbie adds, “Our family legacy is something we are incredibly proud of. We’ve had our restaurant business for 38 years, which in itself feels meaningful—but what’s even more special is seeing it continue into the next generation. It started with the two of us building something from the ground up, but now our children have taken active roles in the business in their own ways. It’s one thing to build something for yourself, but it’s another to see it become something your children want to be part of and grow. Even our grandchildren talk about wanting to work at Buttercup
one day, which is something that makes us very proud.” Jon is married to Rachel, and they have two daughters, Cece and Stella. They live in Orinda. Ben is married to Brianna, and they have two sons, Lior and Elan, and live in Pleasant Hill. Jessica lives in Oakland with her 16-year-old Pomeranian/Pekingese mix who is very much a part of the entire Shahvar family. Being together with their kids and grandkids for holidays and special events is also a priority for the Shahvars and is
possible since they all live close by.
Debbie shares, “Walnut Creek has always felt like a warm, family-oriented community. We value the friendships we’ve built here. One of our favorite neighborhood traditions is visiting the horse stables, something we started when Jessica was young and now continue with our grandchildren.” Debbie is also a member of the Northgate Afternoon Book Group, meeting monthly at different members’ homes. She and David are also part of a food and wine group that gathers at each other’s homes, each couple bringing a dish paired with wine. “It’s a fun and social way to connect with friends in the neighborhood.” And Debbie reflects, “We feel very lucky to be part of such a warm and welcoming community.”
By Kara Navolio, Resident since 1991