The idea was to start completely new at 4628 Park Boulevard, the University Heights venue that formerly housed Small Bar. An unexpected discovery, however, led to a slight change of plans for Johnston’s, the new indoor-outdoor restaurant opening on February 8.
Less than a year after Small Bar permanently shut its doors in 2020, John Pani from ELE Collective—a hospitality investment and management firm that operates Park & Rec a few doors down and the now-defunct Waypoint Public—bought the space with an idea for a neighborhood restaurant and bar in mind.
A place he initially planned on calling The Regular, it wasn’t until the demolition process that Pani was met with a historical gem that is old to San Diego’s origins yet new to the site’s current owner: a tattered sign reading, “Johnston’s Variety Dept. Store.”
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Photo Credit: Kimberly Motos
Pani’s construction crews discovered the storefront sign for an antiquated 1920’s five-and-dime, paving the way for a new, refreshed design concept. The end product: a 3,500-square-foot, indoor-outdoor restaurant filled with subtle motifs paying homage to the mom-and-pop shop it once was.
“With sort of a desire to really embrace the neighborhood, it was a perfect find,” Pani shared about the weathered sign. “We have maintained the intent, but we definitely changed our design and overall brand and imagery.”
Stripping the whole building down, Pani says Johnston’s is “100 percent new,” with the exception of the sign which has been restored by local artist Christopher Konecki. Through the creative eye of Marianne Berg of Mbee Studio, a color palette of greens and natural hues was added to the 1,500-square-foot indoor dining room and bar.
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Photo Credit: Kimberly Motos
A garden patio for events, dining and drinking will open in the summer, drawing inspiration from the area’s former Mission Cliff Gardens—a botanical attraction the Johnston’s were involved with during the 1900’s.
“It’s definitely something that is fun for me to think about…that small business (in) 1924…and here we are 100 years later,” Pani commented about breathing life into the venue. “We’re in the same neighborhood and same building.”
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Photo Credit: Kimberly Motos
Its menu—under the direction of executive chef Peter Ziegler (Charles + Dinorah at The Pearl Hotel, Wolfie’s Carousel Bar)—will feature buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches, burgers with Wagyu patties, a braised mojo pork Cubano, and yakitori skewers grilled on a binchotan charcoal grill.
A variety of cocktails inspired by the menu at Park & Rec will be poured into time-piece-inspired glassware such as a bloody mary named in honor of the original Johnston’s Variety Dept. Store owners, Alex and Mary Johnston; and the Alonzo Horton with homemade Kahlua whip, horchata vodka and Dark Horse cold brew.
To celebrate opening weekend, Johnston’s will offer $5 Old Fashioneds and $10 single Smash Burgers on Friday, Feb. 10 and Saturday, Feb. 11 as a nod to their five-and-dime history.
Johnston’s opens on February 8 and keep an eye out for their weekend brunch debuting in April.
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Photo Credit: Kimberly Motos
