Port approves new restaurant concept for Coronado Ferry Landing

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The Port of San Diego Board of Commissioners gave the green light Tuesday for another restaurant development at the Coronado Ferry Landing, moving forward a project that has been years in the making.

The development project was first approved in 2018 and is composed of 7,500 square feet, up to 23 feet in height and a seated capacity of 300.

The board previously approved the construction of two restaurants, but only one — Il Fornaio — has been built.

According to FOX 5/KUSI’s reporting partners at The San Diego Union-Tribune , Ferry Landing Associates is asking for a 12-year extension of the current 40-year lease that is set to expire in 2037. In order to get the extension, the group will be required to pay $1 million and complete construction within 577 days of the new lease’s start date.

“This has been a long time coming,” said Frank Urtasan, chairman of the board. “I remember for 30 years the Port wanting to do this second restaurant here.”

Social Syndicate will partner with Ferry Landing Associates on the development project. Social Syndicate is also the group behind other establishments in San Diego County, including Wonderland Ocean Pub in Ocean Beach and Monarch Ocean Pub in Del Mar.

“We’ve been putting all the pieces together for 15 years to get to this point,” said Brendan Huffman, chairman of Social Syndicate, during Tuesday’s hearing.

The concept for the new restaurant will be molded around the community and history of Coronado, although “the heart and soul and attitude of it is very aligned with Monarch,” he said.

Coronado residents phoned in during the meeting to voice their support for the new restaurant concept, which would be built on the vacant lot located next to Il Fornaio.

Addressing the concerns of locals who worry about how the new development would affect their ability to enjoy views of the bay, Urtasan requested that 10 parking spaces between both restaurant buildings be designated for people who want to visit the ferry landing for that sole purpose.

The construction phase is scheduled to begin in late 2025 with completion expected in mid-2027.

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