Kelsey Brito didn’t hesitate when presented with the opportunity to open the Dutchess, in Ojai, Calif., even though the idea sounded a little ridiculous.

“So it’s a French bakery in the morning and a Burmese restaurant at night?” Ms. Brito recalled. “I was like, ‘OK, I guess that works.’”

Ms. Brito’s optimism wasn’t misplaced. When the Dutchess opened in 2022, American restaurants were experiencing a renaissance spurred by the countrywide spread of all-day cafes.

Their popularity soared over a decade when the restaurant industry faced a set of economic, social and creative challenges that the all-day template helps to address. Many of the most expressive and welcoming restaurants to open in recent years are following the model, resetting the parameters of what a neighborhood restaurant can be.

“The reality of running a restaurant in this day and age is so difficult, we really want to give the public whatever they need,” Ms. Brito said. “But we also don’t want to sacrifice being true to ourselves. With this model, we didn’t have to.”