PLANS FOR EATS BY SAM SCRAPPED
Celebrity chef-themed restaurant intended to enliven Seaport Village
In early 2020, prior to the pandemic, a celebrity chef-themed restaurant and bar was set to take over the large, waterfront Seaport Village venue occupied by longtime tenant Buster’s Beach House.
The eatery eventually went by the name Eats by Sam after TV personality Sam Zien — better known as Sam the Cooking Guy — and it was touted as the future marquee attraction for the lesser-trafficked portion of the seaside retail center.
A walk-up window opened for a stint but the restaurant never did. It never will.
In late February, Grain & Grit Collective, the local hospitality
group behind the project, requested to terminate its lease for the 8,000 square-foot, two-story space that fronts San Diego Bay at 807 West Harbor Drive, the Union-Tribune has confirmed. The operator vacated the premises entirely in April.
Now the Port of San Diego, which owns the site, is negotiating with a replacement tenant, Cedar Restaurant Group. The group operates an upscale sports bar in Los Angeles called 3rd Base. Tuesday, port commissioners discussed lease terms in closed session.
“It’s unfortunate to see a tenant make the difficult decision to withdraw, however we wish Grain & Grit the best of luck,” said Brianne Page, who is a spokesperson for the port. “We enjoyed having Sam the Cooking Guy, et. al. be a part of the Seaport Village community. They were key partners in jumpstarting Seaport Village’s revitalization, which under the Port of San Diego’s stewardship, has seen occupancy reach over 90 percent.”
Grain & Grit executives did not respond to a request for comment.
Opened in 1980, Seaport Village has experienced a renaissance of sorts in recent years with cosmetic upgrades, and the addition of trendier food and beverage options. The improvements are the product of the San Diego Unified Port District, which took over ownership of Seaport Village in October 2018
from Terramar Retail Centers. The government agency has sought to enliven the collection of coastal cottages while it simultaneously considers approval of a major redevelopment project.
Seaport Village was plagued by vacancies concentrated in the eastern village, now known as the Lighthouse District, when the port assumed ownership. Sam the Cooking Guy was brought in as a quick fix.
A local hospitality group famous for its Zien-branded eateries, Grain & Grit operates Carnitas’ Snack Shack, Not Not Tacos and the Little Italy Food Hall. The team formed a limited liability company called Seaport
Entertainment to run the Seaport Village venue and spice up the Lighthouse District.
“The district has an opportunity to partner with Seaport Entertainment, LLC to not only transform and enhance the Lighthouse District user experience to create a new and innovative concept branded by ‘Sam the Cooking Guy’ for locals and visitors alike, but to also catalyze leasing activity throughout the Lighthouse District and Seaport Village,” according a January 2020 staff report prepared for port commissioners.
At the time, port commissioners approved a 10year lease with a minimum annual rent of $132,000 in year one. The agency also agreed to reimburse the restaurant operator $495,000 for interior improvements. The lease was executed in February 2020 and Grain & Grit took possession of the waterfront venue vacated by Buster’s in June of that year, Page said.
From October 2020 to October 2021, the operator used the venue for an Eats by Sam walk-up window serving “Samburgers.” However, tenant improvements were never completed, and the full restaurant and bar did not open to the public.
Despite the interim operations, Grain & Grit’s lease term did not officially commence, per the terms of the contract, meaning the operator was not required to pay rent, Page said. The port, conversely, did not reimburse the firm for any tenant improvements, the port spokesperson said.
It’s unclear why Grain & Grit terminated its lease.
The prolonged vacancy is a blow to the port’s yearslong makeover of Seaport Village. Still, the agency’s efforts to revive the 42-yearold outdoor center have yielded other notable tenants, including Malibu Farm, which is set to open in the former Harbor House space later this year.