Where Coffee Meets Community: Sideboard Owners Named Best By Lafayette Chamber

LAMORINDA, CA — On a weekday morning at Sideboard Lafayette, tea arrives in small pots on trays alongside an hourglass, and neighbors linger at Formica-topped tables over pastries and conversation. Near the long communal table filled with solo diners behind laptop screens, three men in plaid debate details only they seem to find urgent. A table of women takes selfies and catches up on politics. Dogs lie stretched out on the patio under heat lamps.

It’s an ordinary scene—and exactly the point. For more than a decade, Erin and Ford Andrews have quietly built a space where everyday moments turn into community, a commitment that is being recognized by the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber has named the Sideboard Lafayette owners its 2026 Lafayette Business Persons of the Year. Erin and Ford will be recognized at a dinner on Jan. 29 at the Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa, where the Chamber will also introduce its 2026 Board of Directors.

Opened in 2014 opposite the Lafayette Plaza, Sideboard has become a local gathering place known as much for its rustic comfort food and hand-crafted beverages as for its role as a neighborhood hub.

Decorated in creamy white with splashes of teal and crimson, Sideboard is anchored by a cherry-red La Marzocco espresso machine. Its menu includes freshly baked pastries, fried chicken, cheeseburgers, and fries. There’s also a secret menu for regulars who know where to look. With service distinctly DIY, this could be a self-led pursuit.

"Homey" is how a customer, Kerry Concoran, described Sideboard, which is tucked in next to Castagna Cafe and a thrift store.

Concoran said she always tries a new dish, including sweets, of which there are many to choose from. "The desserts are amazing," she said.

Sideboard’s name comes from a well-loved sideboard from Andrew’s grandmother — a piece of furniture that he said in a press release held everything needed to set the table for family meals — and the spirit behind it still defines the restaurant.“Neighborhood” appears in the name to honor what the couple describes as “our village within a village,” a place where people come together around shared values.

Lifelong hospitality professionals, the restaurant reflects the Chamber’s Business Person of the Year criteria, which recognizes sustained chamber of commerce membership, leadership, collaboration, environmental and social responsibility, and contributions that enhance Lafayette’s quality of life.

The Lafayette Chamber of Commerce said that since joining in 2016, Erin and Ford have been active supporters of numerous community organizations. The selection committee noted that while many strong candidates were nominated this year, the couple stood out for the way their business reflects guiding values of integrity, respect, organization, and communication—and for their belief that a successful restaurant can also serve as a civic anchor.

More information about the award celebration and dinner registration is available at lafayettechamber.org/bpoy.