There aren’t many places left in San Diego with a lack of specialty coffee options. This week, we can add La Jolla Shores to that list—Casa Del Lobo has arrived. Life-and-business partners Christine Silver and Saul Moreno came to San Diego the same route so many of us have: coming for vacation and falling in love with the city and each other.
Silver was working on Wall Street in New York City and decided to visit some friends in SoCal after the pandemic clouds lifted. Moreno happened to be visiting from Mexico City at the same time. The two met, moved here, got married, had a baby, and thought, “Hey, why not start our own business?”
Apparently, their whirlwind lives needed more windy whirls. (Windy whirls? They like to stay busy.) Casa Del Lobo isn’t either of their first rodeos, although it’s both of their first forays into the coffee space. “We’re both serial entrepreneurs,” laughs Silver. She runs a venture capital business that invests in women-owned wellness companies, and he runs his own logistics company out of Mexico City. “We keep saying, ‘Oh, it’s the last time we’ll start a business. Then all of a sudden, a year or two later, we can’t help ourselves.’”
The idea to open Casa Del Lobo initially started when the pair began decorating their house in Windansea. After looking for large-scale ceramic planters and outdoor fountains that met their quality expectations without egregious price tags (something Moreno was used to seeing in Mexico), they realized there simply weren’t any comparable options here.
So rather than continuing to drive over the border to go shopping, they decided to bring Mexican ceramic style to San Diego.
The partners now run a manufacturing facility in Tecate, specializing in large-format ceramics and specialty glazes. As they sought out potential locations to open a planter store, they realized they could go one of two routes. One, get a warehouse in an industrial area and rely on marketing to get the word out. Or two, they could diversify by opening a homey retail store where people have to walk through the shop area to get a cup of specialty coffee.
They went with option two, and coffee quickly became their primary objective.
“My husband and I, we love coffee,” she says, adding that whenever they go on vacation, no matter where they are in the world, figuring out where to get a java fix every day is their number one goal. (Side note: I can strongly relate.) Mexico City coffee and design culture lean heavily urban and industrial in feel, mixing both an Old World architecture with modern sensibilities—something Silver says they felt was missing locally, specifically in La Jolla Shores.
Casa Del Lobo, which translates to “house of the wolf” in Spanish, soft opened this week, with traditional coffee offerings like lattes, cappuccinos, and Americanos, along with four housemade syrups that will change seasonally (currently, they are vanilla, lavender, orange blossom, and brown sugar cinnamon). For now, the food is simple pastries from Knead Artisan Bakery, but Silver says they plan to add more options like breakfast burritos, paninis, and natural wine in the future. Eventually, customers will also be able to purchase their signature ceramics online, and one day, they may open more locations along the California coast.
But for now, they’re just getting started in La Jolla. “We’ll be here forever,” says Silver. “We want this to be the first of many.”
Casa Del Lobo is now open at 2246 Avenida de la Playa every Tuesday through Sunday, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
Beth’s Bites
- It’s about to get goopy in Del Mar. Goop Kitchen, the pinnacle of celebrity-backed clean eating brands, is opening its first full-service restaurant at One Paseo on Monday, August 31. It’ll offer the requisite bowls and salads, but guests at the new 92-seat flagship will get to dine in a minimalist-meets-Maine stripes and marble accents space, designed by Michael Hsu Architecture (and plenty of input from Gwenyth Paltrow, I’m sure).
- After announcing a partnership with City Tacos in October 2024, then scrapping those plans by November, pitmaster Drew Bent seems to be back on track with a new partnership, this time with Grand Restaurant Group and chef Alex Carballo (of Nomada and formerly Fox Point Farms). Bangers BBQ is slated to open in downtown Escondido early next year, with southwestern-style barbecue on various cuts of beef and pork, as well as a live music venue. Hopefully, this is the project that sticks.
- It’s been just over a year since Egg Tuck announced it was opening a San Diego location, but time flies when you’re craving breakfast. The LA-based breakfast brand opened its first spot in Little Italy on Wednesday, and judging by the early Instagram pics, people are ready to chow down on some soft egg sandos.
- Mission Valley Mall (excuse me, The Valley) is getting a much-needed makeover, not least of which includes the not all-around-stellar roster of eateries. (If Buffalo Wild Wings is your thing, more power to you!) A whole slew of new food and drink concepts are coming, from EM Coffee House, which opened this month, to the forthcoming Bacio di Latte (gelato), Pepper Lunch (Japanese teppanyaki), Encuentro (Venezuelan food), and more. I’ve been hard-pressed to get anything other than Cava or Dave’s Hot Chicken as of late, but it seems like my mainstays are about to have some competition.
Listen Now: The Latest in San Diego’s Food and Drink Scene
Have breaking news, exciting scoops, or great stories about new San Diego restaurants or the city’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].
