Benji's French Basque Restaurant

The restaurant is named for its proprietor, 67-year-old Basque immigrant Bernard "Benat" Benji Arduain, who first established the French-style dining destination on Union Avenue in 1986.

When Arduain moved to Bakersfield, he worked as a cook for his then-wife Jenny Maitia's family's restaurant, Wool Growers. He made the name change from Benat, the French Basque spelling of Bernard, to Benji out of necessity.

"We had too many Bernards there at the time, so we had to change my name and I told them I didn't care what they came up with," he recalled with a laugh.

Benji it was, and the names stuck.