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La Copine founders on “Up Close Show” this Friday (4/24)

Gary Daigneault Gary Daigneault Send an email April 23, 2026

In 2015 a trip to Pioneertown inspired Niki Hill and Claire Wadsworth, looking to start a new restaurant, to take a chance on a dream and opened La Copine at an empty location in the middle of Landers.

Since then, the legendary location has been filling seats and satisfying palates with their own unique brand of cuisine.

The new cookbook, “LA Copine: New California Cooking From an Oasis in the Desert” becomes available April 28.

On the Z107.7 “Up Close” show this Friday (4/24) Hill and Wadsworth will talk about their journey, their remarkable restaurant, and their new cookbook with host Gary Daigneault. Get the La Copine story from the founders themselves on the Z107.7 “Up Close” show live this Friday at 10am and podcast at z077fm.com.  

Gary Daigneault Gary Daigneault Send an email April 23, 2026
Gary Daigneault

Gary Daigneault

Gary Daigneault has been a broadcast journalist for 45 years with awards and citations from the Associated Press, National Association of Broadcasters, Radio-Television News Association, Radio Inc. Magazine, five “Golden Mic” and four “Mark Twain” awards. In 2010 he was inducted into the Associated Press Hall of Fame. Daigneault taught Broadcasting for 27 years. He is President of Theatre 29, six term Past-President of Rotary Clubs, Past-President of Twentynine Palms and Joshua Tree Chambers of Commerce and chaired the Joshua Tree National Park Commission. Gary and wife Cindy live in Twentynine Palms since 1979. They have two children and five grandchildren.