San Diego
San Diego Content
San Diego County’s restaurant scene is vital to the local economy, blending coastal lifestyle, craft innovation, and diverse cultures. From the Gaslamp Quarter and upscale La Jolla to authentic Mexican spots near the border and a renowned craft beer scene, the county offers a rich culinary mix. The industry drives the economy by creating jobs, generating tax revenue, attracting visitors, and supporting local fisheries, farms, and breweries – ensuring money stays in the community and cementing San Diego’s reputation as a top food destination.
By Haiden Emmett and Esau Flores
PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 15, 2026
San Diego County
Policy:
San Diego Updates ABC Zoning Use Verification Bulletin
San Diego
San Diego Development Services updated Information Bulletin 143 in August 2026 for Alcoholic Beverage Control zoning use verification. The bulletin says all ABC applicants must submit a Zoning Use Verification request through the city’s online permitting account and explains city review steps, possible exemptions, administrative review, and fees.
Why it matters: Restaurants seeking new or modified alcohol licenses should monitor city zoning verification steps, required documents, and timing before submitting ABC applications.
Source: City of San Diego Information Bulletin 143
Plates:
Chef Fei opens first U.S. restaurant in San Diego
Chef Fei has opened his first U.S. restaurant at Westfield UTC. The Chinese restaurant operator has built a large international footprint around Hunan-style stir-fry and selected San Diego for its first American location.
Why it matters: The opening gives San Diego a U.S.-debut restaurant from an established international operator and reinforces Westfield UTC’s growing concentration of Asian restaurant brands.
Source: Axios San Diego
Goop Kitchen opens its first full-service restaurant
Goop Kitchen opened August 31 at One Paseo, 3725 Paseo Place. The location is the company’s first in San Diego and its first designed around full-service dine-in operations rather than primarily delivery and takeout.
Why it matters: The opening provides a real-world test of whether a digitally oriented restaurant brand can transition successfully into a conventional full-service model.
Source: Edible San Diego
Zuma opens first California restaurant at The Guild Hotel
Zuma opened August 10 inside The Guild Hotel on West Broadway. The roughly 12,000-square-foot restaurant is the international contemporary Japanese brand’s first California location.
Why it matters: The opening is a high-profile addition to downtown San Diego’s luxury dining and hotel market and supports the city’s destination-dining profile.
Source: Axios San Diego
Honor Bar completes long-planned Del Mar opening
Hillstone Restaurant Group opened Honor Bar at 1404 Camino Del Mar in early August after a lengthy development process. The purpose-built restaurant replaced the former Bully’s North property and is Hillstone’s first restaurant in San Diego County.
Why it matters: The project brings a nationally established operator into the county while completing a significant redevelopment of a longstanding restaurant site.
Source: Axios San Diego