As the meats are smoking in the kitchen, Cherie McGraham is busy getting the bar ready for customers at her restaurant, Smokehouse on Main in Old Town Newhall.

Being a restaurant owner has always been her dream.

“When people make a big deal, you know, that it’s my place, then sometimes it hits, I own this place. It’s kind of surreal," she says.

In the kitchen, her staff works diligently to perfectly prepare the brisket. Although the food is just one aspect of her success. The other is her determination and hard work.

McGraham bought the restaurant in June of 2018, and in less than a year, she's already looking to expand.

She's acquired the space next door where she plans to expand her restaurant by adding a lounge area and a stage for bands. McGraham is no stranger to hard work, she’s been working three jobs to support her family since her husband died in a car accident nearly 11 years ago.

“I’ve always been a motivated person but I want my kids to know that you have to keep going on, and you can become stronger for it and you can keep persevering," she says.

If you ask her regular customers, they’ll tell you they’re not surprised by her success.

Smokehouse on Main is at the forefront of a revitalization project in Old Town Newhall that started in 2005.

Since then, the city and the former Redevelopment Agency have invested over $60 million in public improvements, improvements that have helped increase retail sales growth at a rate of 17 percent per year since 2010.

Instead of worrying about competing restaurants, McGraham says she welcomes them.

“Anybody coming down to this street for our restaurants is going to see the other restaurants, which is perfect because it drives more traffic down here."