Penryn 76 becomes one of Placer County's most unexpected dining destinations

From the outside, Penryn 76 looks like any other neighborhood gas station.

Inside, customers will find the usual convenience store staples, snacks, candy, bottled water and energy drinks. But owner Valarie Peluso has spent years transforming the family business into something much more.

"Snacks, candy, every kind of water, energy drink you could think of. We have everything," Peluso said.

What many first-time visitors don't expect is what's waiting behind an unassuming wall inside the store.

"On the other side of this wall is what we've expanded to. It's like a speakeasy door," Peluso said.

Step through that doorway and visitors are greeted by Penryn Grill, a full-service restaurant that has become one of Placer County's most surprising dining destinations.

"If I would go to a gas station, I'm not getting their food," frequent customer Maria Remine said. "This is completely the opposite. Their food is good."

First-time customer Carrie Duncan agreed.

"It was really, really, really good burger," Duncan said.

The restaurant sits alongside the gas station that Peluso's family built more than two decades ago.

"When it first went up, it was field," Peluso said. "Then we blew up the ground and then we put in the gas pumps and it was a very small gas station."

After taking over the family business in 2016, Peluso began expanding on her father's vision. The transformation happened gradually, first a patio, then a beer and wine license, followed by a bar.

Today, the once-small gas station has evolved into a restaurant that draws customers from throughout the region.

"Just changing things up for the little town of Penryn," said chef Scott Norris.

The menu features everything from burgers and sandwiches to shrimp tacos and local craft beer.

And the growth isn't stopping there.

Just steps from the dining room, produce grown on-site is already making its way from the garden to customers' plates.

"This is one of her dreams and it's coming true," Norris said.

For Peluso, the restaurant has always been about more than food. It's about creating a gathering place for the community she calls home.

"The community is the reason why I built the restaurant," Peluso said. "This is like family here."

In Penryn, one of the hottest tables in town may just come with a gas pump out front.

If customers like Duncan are any indication, the unique concept is working.

"Yeah, we'll be back," Duncan said.