History of the Dutch Goose
The Dutch Goose was established in 1966 by Pete Ecless, who renamed the former "Busy Bee" after a Kansas City bar where he had his first beer called the Dutch Goose. Tom Moroney, a Stanford alumnus with over 20 years of restaurant experience, took the reins from Pete Ecklee in 1979 and spent the next 30 years transforming the Goose into a community staple.
In 2000, Greg Stern was a stockbroker on Sand Hill Road with Smith Barney when the dot-com bubble burst, and the markets crashed. While having a burger with his dad at the Dutch Goose, Greg expressed that he was tired of making margin calls and had a desire to start a business of his own, just like the Dutch Goose. His dad said, "Make an offer!" Greg made an unsolicited offer in 2000, and though it took 5 years to come together, Tom Moroney agreed to seller financing with the condition that Greg secure a long-term lease agreement with the Beltramo Family, the property's longtime owners.
Since Greg took over in 2005, notable additions include French fries, pizza, the Duck Blind Bar, and the popular outdoor front deck. The Beltramo Family has remained instrumental in the restaurant's longevity, making facility improvements and extending a new long-term lease during the COVID-19 shutdown to ensure the Dutch Goose would continue to withstand the test of time.
