A new 4,000-square-foot restaurant space with six distinct food concepts under one roof is being planned for one of the most prominent corners in the heart of Pacific Beach. Situated at the intersection of Mission Boulevard and Garnet Avenue, where Denny’s operated for over 50 years until it shuttered after a fire in 2018, the site being developed by local restaurateur Scott Slater, who founded the Slater’s 50/50 chain.
Called Mission + Garnet, the project is Slater’s response to a post-pandemic world where takeout remains king. While each brand will have its own distinct space, they will share a main kitchen and offer new, efficient technology for ordering as well as robust delivery service.
Slater, who recently opened Understory, a craft cocktail bar at the Sky Deck in Carmel Valley, tells Eater that the Pacific Beach venue will house three of his existing fast-casual brands that have storefronts in La Jolla’s Regents Park Plaza: healthy salad shop Head Lettuce, Spitfire Tacos, which features spit-fired meat in its tacos, and breakfast burrito outpost Early Bird. Joining them will be a yet-unnamed gourmet churro outfit, a sandwich shop based around whole cuts of meat, and an outdoor hot dog stand that will feature a bacon-stuffed, all-beef hot dog that Slater developed for Slater’s 50/50.
Aiming to operate 24 hours a day to capture beachgoers as well as the late-night crowd, Mission x Garnet is currently projected to open by Memorial Day 2022. Slater is working with local firm GTC Design Studio (Rare Society, Coco Maya) on the space, which will have patio seating and 39 parking spaces. Next Wave Commercial’s Nate Benedetto brokered the deal.
