According to Lori Weisberg at the San Diego U-T, OB’s Breakfast Republic on Newport Avenue is set to close August 9th.
It and along with the company’s North Park and Encinitas locations will all serve their last meals that day.
Even if you will miss these popular eateries, don’t shed a tear for the San Diego hospitality company that founded Breakfast Republic more than a decade ago. Even though three older locations aren’t doing well, the company plans on opening a dozen new restaurants in Texas over the next five years.
The Ocean Beach venue is just not performing as well as the eight other Southern California locations that are. Weisberg:
The Ocean beach restaurant, at 5,000 square feet, is far larger than the locations [founder Johan Engman] is now opening, and it’s also on the second floor, which isn’t as convenient for customers.
Business declined at the North Park restaurant partly due to “the removal of 175 street parking spaces to make way for bike lanes several years ago.”
Engman, founder of Rise & Shine Hospitality, parent company of the Breakfast Republic and Breakfast Company brands explained to Weisberg:
“The reality is, if I knew then what I know now, I probably wouldn’t have opened this many stores in what I would say is a relatively small market as San Diego is, compared to a Los Angeles or Dallas, where I’m expanding in the future. But it’s part of learning, too, and neighborhoods have changed. I mean, North Park, even five years ago, is very different than it is now.”
Most of the restaurants in San Diego County will continue operating, including those in East Village, Liberty Station, Mission Valley, Pacific Beach, and Scripps Ranch.
Despite the lack of customers in OB — damn that elevator! — Engman has quite the empire. His company has Breakfast Republic venues in Costa Mesa, Culver City, Echo Park, Irvine, Long Beach and Palm Desert. And more are planned for California; in Palm Springs, Huntington Beach, and Highland Park in Los Angeles.
The empire is outlined by Weisberg:
Over the years, Engman’s company, which also includes the Fig Tree Cafe, Eggies, Feast & Fareway at the Coronado golf course, and Ox Coffee, has had to close restaurants before, including Fig Tree and a concept called El Jardin that was at Liberty Station. More recently, a Breakfast Republic location in La Jolla closed last year as part of a lease buyout from the property owner.
Residents now ask: what will take its place in that upstairs space? It has undergone a handful of major changes over the last years.
There are a lot of restaurant closures happening this year. It seems that is a causality of infill density, parking reduction, and bike lane encroachment. It goes beyond Engman calling SD a small market. Aside from inflation, consumer accessibility to neighborhoods are a increasing factor. I don’t even try in North Park anymore for a restaurant.
LOL there is so much parking by that Breaskfast Republic along with an enormous amount of foot traffic in the area. It’s just in a weird location, upstairs, and not that good.
The real reason they are underperforming is they just aren’t that good. Food is mediocre at best. There are simply better options on those areas that shutting down.
Ha, that’s funny…. I ate at the Mission Valley version yesterday for the first time, as a friend chose the spot. First and Last time for me. The plate looked good coming out of the kitchen…. but was super dry and had no flavor. I would never go back.
That is too bad. The elevator is weird but they are dog friendly which I loved (dogs didn’t love the elevator)
I worked in that building when it was OB Warehouse. I think it would make a great event space to host groups. It really is a cool spot.