A Jewelof Chico

Whether you’ve been in Chico awhile or are new to town, it’s highly likely that you’ve heard of Wayne Cook. A developer, business owner, and philanthropist, Wayne dedicated his life to preserving structurally important pieces of Chico’s history for the enjoyment of the community. His restoration projects include the Language Houses of West 3rd Street, two of the Diamond Match Company’s Seven Sister homes on Broadway, The Gage House, The Waterland, and many other historically significant properties. Because of Wayne, these properties have been saved from the wrecking ball, brought back to their former glory, and carefully and thoughtfully preserved for many more generations to enjoy and appreciate. However, it may be said that Wayne Cook’s best-known contribution and gift to the community is the shining jewel of Downtown Chico, situated near the corner of Broadway and West Fourth Street—the quietly grand Hotel Diamond.

Known in the early 1900’s as “The Jewel of the Northstate,” The Hotel Diamond hosted grand parties and lodged many prominent figures. Toward the end of the century, run-down and dilapidated, the old building was populated by pigeons when Wayne had the dream to buy it in the late 1990’s. “I remember standing across the street from the building and my father telling me of his vision to restore it. He had the wheels moving in his head which I had often seen in his eyes when he was renovating a space,” says his daughter Alisa Cook-Scott. The Hotel Diamond needed some serious love if it was ever going to shine again as it had in its heyday. Wayne was able to purchase the property and went straight to work. Teaming up with David Rogers, of the architecture firm Nichols, Melburg & Rossetto, they spent many long hours together to lay out a plan. They envisioned the restaurant and bar as a gathering place for townies and guests of the hotel alike, while the guestrooms and the common areas of the building would have a historical feel that would hearken back to yesteryear. “The friendship that was built between the two was amazing to witness,” Alisa remembers.

After a painstaking and lengthy renovation, the Diamond gradually transformed from a pigeon palace into the sleek and simply elegant hotel we know today. “The more my father dove in, the more details he wanted to restore, like the original wood, excavating the basement for more usable space, and sparing no expense on hydraulic plumbing to name just a few. He almost lost his mind as the expenses grew many times over his initial budget,” Alisa says.

In 2021, Wayne and David once again put their minds to work on the Moorhead Building adjacent to the hotel. Longtime friend, Howard Slater, was hired to renovate and transform the rundown office spaces back to large luxurious suites. This increased the hotel capacity by 40%, and capped off what was to be Wayne’s very last project.

Alisa warmly remembers, “Putting that gold dome on the cupola became his last hurrah for Chico in the spring just months before his passing. He wanted the community to know he loved them, and he made sure that whatever he could do to keep Chico special was something he was going to do. He worked very hard in his last days to put that up.” After a battle with cancer, Wayne died in June of 2022, leaving behind a lasting legacy that his daughter feels honored to be able to continue.

Alisa had been by her father’s side since she graduated from college and moved back to Chico. She started a graduate degree in physical education to become a college coach, but working with her father when he acquired the Language Houses meant a full-time job. She recalls, “It was a wonderful experience seeing the homes come back to life. Preserving parts of the original structures while creating new kitchens and bathrooms for the modern touch was something the community and college students loved.” Wayne’s wife Carol has a fabulous eye for color. Every color you see on all the renovations are her own creation.

Carol and Alisa’s involvement continues with the Hotel Diamond. “Like all his renovations, I worked with my father on all aspects of the hotel project; accounting, infrastructure, contractors, human resources, etc., and was intricately involved with opening the doors in 2005,” Alisa says. “I basically worked myself out of a job. My father wanted me to run it, but I didn’t have experience in the hospitality business. I haven’t been a part of the management of the Hotel Diamond until my fathers passing this summer.”

Alisa and her husband Greg moved back to town and have owned the Diamond Steakhouse inside the hotel for the last six years. “The pandemic closed us down.” She says, “It was extremely hard to close the doors, lay off so many staff, and watch as people’s careers and lives were turned upside down throughout the industry. I am so glad those days are gone, and we are able to bring back many of those same people we loved working with before we were forced to shut down.”

Now, the overseer of the hotel as well as the owner of the restaurant, Alisa has plans for a renaissance with the goal of bringing the Diamond into a new post-pandemic era where the two halves of the business are once again made whole.

“One really complements the other, and it’s so great to be able to bring that to the community,” she says. “Now that I finally have the chance to marry the two, put the two back together, and do events for Downtown Chico, I’m really looking forward to the community being able to use it for a multitude of activities to be enjoyed. Chico State, Enloe, DCBA, art events, family reunions, any and all events—I just can’t wait!” The restaurant can hold small intimate parties of 10-20 as well as up to 200 people. “We have companies and groups of people who have rented the entire hotel, bar, and restaurant!"

Beginning late in 2022, Alisa started hiring department heads to bring the hotel back up to pre-pandemic operating standards and has assembled a solid team of staff that are working expertly well together in all areas of the restaurant and hotel. The restaurant is not quite up to full steam, but Alisa isn’t sure it will become a full-service locale again unless the public wants it to be. “If we find that the public does want a restaurant, then that will more than likely happen in the fall,” she says. “Right now, we are doing sharable small plates, along with every fabulous cocktail and mocktail. We also have great desserts. We’re going to go really slow and build on our momentum, so we make sure we do it right.” Currently, the restaurant is serving as an overflow area from the bar, which has been working well. A new Disklavier baby grand piano is located in the restaurant space which has added a live music element that Alisa loves. Wednesday nights are trivia nights where trivia lovers now pack the space. “I feel like making the Hotel Diamond accessible to the public is really something that we’re trying to establish,” Alisa says. “I want it to be a place where people say, let’s meet at the Diamond to have a drink, have a quick bite, get together, and have some fun. I recently had a class reunion, and it was so great getting together in the restaurant space to sit, talk, catch up, and of course, reminisce on fun times from growing up in Chico.”

For the last several years, in addition to being a regular working hotel, the Diamond has been the site of weddings and special holiday events. “We have been doing private events for the holidays. People have been hosting their Christmas parties here or Thanksgiving celebrations, as you can do a banquet or a full-seated dinner, depending on what people want for their companies and friends,” Alisa says. “There have been a lot of companies who have been utilizing the hotel who are not even from this area. They come in and rent the entire hotel, and they do a pub crawl or a dinner here, and then they do dinners at other places around town.” The Diamond is well-suited for weddings because of the combination of bar and hotel. Not only can the whole bridal party stay in the hotel, but they can also have private events before and after the wedding, like brunch or cocktail hour. “Catering to wedding parties by being able to host your guests but also toast the bride and groom before heading off, really makes this a great spot,” Alisa says.

The downstairs wine cellar also has some big plans in the works. “In the springtime, we are going to be working on the downstairs banquet areas, bringing a very swanky intimate bar into the wine cellar. We’ll be bringing in backlit stained glass and serving cocktails down there, so if you have a function, you have your own private area and bar. We may do something like a speakeasy, eventually, and create something super cozy down there. We are also looking into bringing back brunches with delicious items like specialty muffins, cheeses and cured meats, as well as features like a carving station.”

The Hotel Diamond has a rich history in Chico. In the 1960s, the hotel functioned as a residence hall for female undergraduate students at Chico State and is incidentally where Alisa’s parents met. In the basement, around the same time the students were in residence, were locally well-known restaurants Mike and Eddy’s, and after that, Delanceys, a somewhat pricey establishment with white tablecloths and waiters where Chico State students would bring their dates. Many of those people are still living in Chico today and love to sit at the bar and reminisce on their college days.

“When you stay in a historical place, you feel like you’re part of that history,” Alisa says. “To keep the history going is really a neat thing, and when you come to the Hotel Diamond, that’s how you feel when you stay here. It’s warm and inviting, and you see the history behind it.”

Alisa was born and raised in Chico and says, “I had a great time going to school at Chico Jr. and Chico High. “Downtown was our place to grow up; it’s always been the hub of our city. Pioneer Days was a community event that was so festive and super fun. I remember roller skating downtown, riding bikes everywhere, and I always loved to be active. I had many coaches that also went to school here who made it extra special.

I was always the kid that said, ‘Put me in, Coach, I’m ready.’ This community means so much to me, and I can’t think of a better place in the world to have my roots. I love this old building and am ready to bring back Downtown Chico as the place our community wants to spend its time enjoying. This is the place I call home.”

“There is one last thing my father left undeveloped that has fabulous potential,” Alisa says. “He reengineered the Morehead Building with the ability to build and sustain a rooftop bar. This is definitely in the future. We are going slow and working on improvement and structure every day at the hotel and restaurant. I will continue to build on his vision with my own, and believe in my community as much as my father did. My dad always said, ‘You gotta believe.’”

Visit the Hotel Diamond at 220 W. 4th Street in Downtown Chico for live music on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, as well as trivia on Wednesdays. Be sure to try their array of small plates and fine cocktails, and keep your eyes on their Facebook and twitter page for updates regarding the new developments in the works. For reservations, visit them online at www.HotelDiamondChico.com