In The News – Why Truckee-Tahoe restaurants are expanding to Reno
January 22, 2026 | Member Submitted
Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 1/22/2026, Written by Petra Molina
From Sage Leaf to Tahoe Bagel Co. and FiftyFifty Brewing Co., several Truckee/Tahoe-based restaurants are expanding beyond the Truckee-Tahoe region. For some owners, the decision reflects business realities, with Reno offering opportunities the lake can’t.
“In Incline, we’re three lights long — we’re very small,” said Lara Hammett, owner of Sage Leaf. “We only have so many restaurants here and so many spaces that can even house a restaurant. We’ve kind of maxed out our footprint, and we don’t really want to compete with ourselves.”
Hammett said the team considered expanding to Kings Beach, Tahoe City and South Lake Tahoe, but as a Nevada-based business, opening a location in California would have meant navigating a new regulatory environment. Instead, they decided to move away from the lake. Sage Leaf is set to open a Reno location next month.
photo: Tahoe Daily Tribune publication