Faces of Downtown: Heather Laganelli, Owner of locale: farm to table eatery

Some people see a city for what it is. Others see what it could become.

Heather Laganelli has spent nearly two decades helping shape that possibility in downtown Bakersfield.

When she first moved to Bakersfield in 2005, she quickly noticed something that many people still say today. People often spoke about the city with hesitation, as if creativity or innovation belonged somewhere else. She heard it repeatedly in those early years. Bakersfield was a “meat and potatoes” town. People would not want something different. New ideas would be difficult to sustain.

But Heather had seen enough of the world to know that communities are not defined by what people assume about them. They are defined by the people who decide to build something within them.

Originally from Massachusetts, Heather spent time on the East Coast before eventually making her way to California. Her academic path began in art therapy before evolving into studies in fine arts, communication, and graphic design. Creativity had always been central to how she moved through the world. As a child she took every hands on class she could find, from sculpture to origami to drawing, constantly experimenting with new ways of making things. At the same time, she was learning about business from her parents, who ran a jewelry business where she helped design flyers, market products, and interact with customers.

That early blend of creativity and entrepreneurship quietly shaped the path she would later take.

When Heather arrived in Bakersfield, she initially imagined a life as a working artist. Back East she had already produced a gallery exhibition with dozens of works across multiple mediums including painting, sculpture, photography, and mixed media. People were commissioning work and she was exploring what it meant to build a life through art.

But Bakersfield taught her something important. Ideas and talent are only part of the equation. Relationships are what allow those ideas to take root.

So Heather began building connections the long way. She worked in marketing and advertising, collaborated with local businesses, photographed weddings, designed invitations, baked elaborate cakes, and created floral arrangements. Each project introduced her to more people, more stories, and a deeper understanding of how community actually functions.

Over time, she began to see something clearly.

Downtown Bakersfield was full of potential. It simply needed places where people could gather, connect, and feel inspired by the environment around them.

That realization eventually led her to open Locale in downtown Bakersfield in 2015.

From the beginning, Locale was never meant to be just a restaurant. Heather envisioned a space where food, creativity, and community could exist together. A place where someone might come for a meal but stay for conversation, art, music, or collaboration. The kind of environment where ideas circulate naturally and people leave feeling connected to something larger than themselves.

The early days were challenging. Within the first month of opening, Heather faced unexpected equipment challenges that threatened both the inventory and the future of the restaurant itself. For many people that moment might have been enough to walk away.

Instead, Heather treated it as another problem to solve.

What followed was years of persistence, experimentation, and growth. Slowly, Locale began to establish itself as something distinct within the downtown landscape. People started to trust the space and the intention behind it. Guests would walk in and simply ask Heather to order for them, confident that whatever arrives at the table will be thoughtful and well crafted.

But the story of Locale extends far beyond the menu.

Behind the restaurant, a rotating mural alley began to take shape, inviting artists to leave their mark on the walls. Over the years many artists have contributed to the evolving canvas, turning the space into one of downtown’s most recognizable creative corners. Inside the restaurant, the gallery walls feature rotating work from local artists, creating another platform for creativity within the city.

Heather has also quietly opened doors for other entrepreneurs along the way.

A gifted baker Anastasia first began teaching sourdough classes at Locale after Heather encouraged her to share her craft. Those classes quickly sold out, allowing Anastasia to transition away from her warehouse job and fully pursue her passion for baking. Today her bread is part of the restaurant’s offerings and she continues to teach within the space.

Artists and makers have found similar opportunities. Laurel, who now curates the art gallery within Locale, helped transform the interior into a more dedicated creative space. Local coffee roasters, musicians, and creators have all been welcomed into the environment that Heather built. Musicians such as Crimson Skye have brought their sound to the space as well, adding another layer of energy and artistry to the community that gathers there.

For Heather, these collaborations are not side projects. They are the entire point.

She believes that strong downtowns are built through connection. They are built through spaces where people can meet, share ideas, create something new, and feel a sense of belonging within their own city.

Nearly twenty years after moving to Bakersfield, Heather still sees the same thing she saw when she first arrived.

Possibility.

Locale has become more than a restaurant. It is a reflection of what happens when someone chooses to believe deeply in a place and invest in the people around them. In many ways, it represents the kind of future downtown Bakersfield continues to grow toward.

If you have not experienced it for yourself yet, Heather invites you to stop by.

You can visit Locale in the heart of downtown Bakersfield at 1722 18th Street. Head downtown toward 18th Street between Eye Street and K Street, just steps away from some of the city’s most beloved local businesses and gathering spots.

Come hungry, bring a friend, and stay a while. You might just find that the best parts of Bakersfield are waiting right there.