At Necessity Coffee, owner Jon Runion likes to shake things up. “Our drink menu changes every six weeks,” he explains. That type of ongoing creativity keeps him engaged—and it’s kept people coming in the door since he opened a brick-and-mortar in 2023. (The FOMO of missing out on a drink is real, y’all.)
Now, he’s ready for the next big change. After two-and-a-half years operating out of a tiny storefront tucked in an alley in Encinitas, Necessity is moving to a bigger, brighter, and much more visible location just a few blocks south at 687 2nd Street.
The new Necessity will open in early November, according to Runion, adding that this is not the end of his expansion plans. (He’s “a few days away” from signing another lease even further north, which he hopes to open in six to eight months from now.) But moving from around 600-square-feet to 1,100 or so will give him the space to evolve Necessity from a coffee shop to even more of a community-based café.
“We’re adding a kitchen to our space, so we’re going to create a food program,” he explains, working with Manny Da Luz and Charlie Knowles of Bica to develop the menu. Necessity has always been coffee-first, but now they’ll also be able to offer small, tapas-style plates later into the evening, as well as some beer and wine.
Still, Runion promises, their three pillars will remain in place: sourcing and roasting the absolute best coffee in the world (oftentimes, beans you can’t get anywhere else), serving innovative drinks on their menu, and providing the best service they possibly can. It’s that last point he really sticks to.
“That’s a big one for me, always wanting to make sure people feel good about being there,” he says. He’s already done the legwork to find top-of-the-line coffee and create fun drinks (like a riff on the classic Painkiller cocktail, but clarified and made with Columbian cold brew rather than rum). The flavors are there, and he knows they can be enjoyed to their fullest when the hospitality meets that same high standard.
As a bonafide people person, Runion says while he’s excited to keep tapping into his community of customers, he’s especially thrilled to be a part of the burgeoning culinary scene taking place in the coastal area. Leu Leu and New Wave Bagels in Leucadia, Haven Farm + Table at Fox Point Farms and Breakers in Encintas… a lot is happening around him, and he’s planning to work with other local chefs to share ideas and collaborate on events. “When it comes to the specialty food community in North County, it feels good to be around chefs that are excited about it,” he says. And when it comes to the guests, he hopes they feel the love. “Caring for people is such a big one for me,” he says. “Let us take care of you while you’re there.”
Necessity Coffee’s new location at 687 2nd Street in Encinitas opens in early November. Hours will be seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., with extended hours coming later.
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
The Brigantine’s Big Bay Brainstorm
After taking over two of The Fish Market locations and Top of the Market at the beginning of 2025, The Brigantine restaurant group is ready to make their mark on the Embarcadero. Earlier this month, they unveiled a $25.5 million proposal called The Landing, which (if it gets approved and if it stays on schedule) would completely redevelop the downtown waterfront by 2029. Think new restaurants, new walking paths, but still the same sweeping bay views. Ambitious? Most definitely. This is one to keep an eye on.
PARTNER CONTENT
Mothership
Beth’s Bites
- Spooky season is nearly upon us, and who better to commemorate it than the fiendish folks at Mothership? From October 1 through November 2, get freaky at The Cocooning, a sci-fi campfest celebrating all things creepy and cocktails. Reservations are open, so don’t be left in the dark.
- Happy first birthday to Torque Coffees! To mark the occasion, the Corridor coffee shop is throwing a bash on Saturday, September 20 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with free coffee, drink specials, live music, pop-up vendors, and, according to “chief instigator” Andy Newbom, “a whole bunch of rad things.” No need to RSVP—just show up with a need for caffeine.
- San Diego’s wine scene got another national nod recently when Wine Spectator listed North Park’s Finca in “Wine Bars: Our Editors’ Favorites” in the October 2025 issue. With a wine list as creative and sprawling as theirs, it’s hardly a surprise. Congrats to the Finca team and keep up the (hiccup) great wine work!
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