San Diego Free Press

Grassroots News & Progressive Views

What’s Going On In the Old Proposed VFW Building?

by

OB-VFW-Pt.-Loma-ReducedBy Judi Curry

Earlier this week I received a notice from the ABC of a “notice of intention to engage in the sale of alcoholic beverages” in the same building that the VFW wanted to move into last year at 4705 Pt. Loma Ave.  Before jumping to conclusions as to what was going to move in I decided to do some preliminary sleuthing  and am pleased that I did.

Many of us remember when that building originally housed “Sea and Shore Market.”  Years later I still miss the convenience of having a market that close to where I lived.  It later was purchased by the owners of “Rancho’s Restaurant” – yes, the same Rancho’s that is on Sunset Cliffs.  That became the second Rancho’s in the neighborhood and it was delightful to have it there.  It usually had many patrons, and that may have been the downfall of the restaurant because  due to of lack of parking space it eventually closed.

Now, Chad and Maja Cline want to open an establishment called “Kodiak” on that very same site.  I talked to Chad today and asked him many questions re: the proposed restaurant.

The Kodiak will be a community establishment serving “comfort foods”, beer and wine.  The proposed hours of operation Monday through Friday will be from 11:00am to 12:00am.  On the weekends he will open early for breakfast –and with hopes that people coming to visit the Cliffs will stop in for a meal.  He agrees that parking will be the biggest problem and is hopeful that something can be worked out with St. Peter’s Church for overflow parking.  He intends to knock out the wall on Ebers Street, and make a patio on that side of the building.

When one of the residents of this area contacted Chad about the new restaurant, he answered by email – and this is his response:

Thanks for the email.  Yes Ma’am, my wife and I have recently posted an application for a beer and wine (permit) on Ebers and Point Loma Ave.  Our intention is to make a community restaurant.  We will serve American style comfort food.  Even though I’m not a big fan of the word “Comfort Food.”  It generally means unhealthy which is not necessarily the case.  We call it “high value” food.  Food that we can make really good for a price between $8 and $14 dollars.  We intend on being open at 8am for breakfast (on weekends) to midnight for later diners.  (Please keep in mind midnight means we are beginning the closing process at 11:30pm.  Patios and windows closed at 10pm).  During week days we will probably open at 11am.  We are not asking for anything associated with bars such as live entertainment, or full liquor, or open till 2am.  I’m from San Diego, I know that area pretty well.  It’s not my intention to make a place that would cause a problem for people.  A community restaurant at odds with the community sounds like a bad business plan.

One of the questions I asked was just who is Chad Cline.  Chad is a co- owner of the “Waterfront Bar” on Kettner Street.  It is one of the oldest bars in San Diego.  But it  is truly  that – a bar – and the Kodiak will NOT be patterned after the Waterfront.  He also is the new owner of the “Harbor Town Pub” that just recently opened on Rosecrans, where “Roseville” used to be.  That restaurant has many televisions and the noise level is above average, but he assured me that the Kodiak will not be loud because it will cater to the neighborhood.  I asked him if it would be child-friendly, and he assured me that it would be.

As a resident of the immediate area, I was very much opposed to the VFW moving into that space.  I do not feel the same way about the Kodiak.  A nice quiet restaurant, with normal working hours, good food, and ambiance is just what this area needs.  There will not be stragglers at all hours of the day; after eating people will leave to return to their homes.  They will not be dependent on the practically non-existent public transportation that might have caused trouble if the VFW had moved into the building.  Chad was forthcoming; answered all my questions, and I think a true asset to our community.

I, for one, look forward to welcoming he and his wife Maja into the neighborhood commerce.

For those readers who are not familiar with the controversy surrounding this particular building, the SDFP’s Andy Cohen covered the conflict between the VFW and the surrounding neighbors for the OB Rag.  You can read those stories here, here, and here.

Judi Curry

Judi Curry

High school dropout who decided to show the educational community what learning is all about. If it's the status quo something's wrong with it and I'll scratch the itch!

©2010-2017 SanDiegoFreePress.org

Code is Poetry