The latest batch of business openings in and near La Jolla spans from Torrey Pines Science Park to Westfield UTC to The Village.
Here’s a wrap-up of area business news.
The French Gourmet owner’s next venture
Michel Malécot, who sold his north Pacific Beach restaurant, The French Gourmet, to a developer that is now proposing a controversial residential-commercial high-rise, is on to his next culinary venture months after the restaurant’s closure.
Malécot, who owned The French Gourmet for more than 45 years, now will serve as landlord and co-owner of Dudley’s Bakery in Santa Ysabel, an attraction for people traveling to Julian. His partner is Michael Brewer, who owns the 70-year-old Sire Bar and Grill in Riverside and Alcoholic Beverage Consulting Service in Temecula.
Michel Malécot sorts loaves of bread at Dudley’s Bakery in Santa Ysabel, which he recently purchased with business partner Michael Brewer. (Kaliana Caldwell)
Malécot announced in December that he would close the restaurant side of The French Gourmet and had sold the property on Turquoise Street. He still rents the bakery space on a month-to-month basis and maintains a staff of bakers there to serve wholesale clients, takeout orders and occasional catering jobs.
Malecót, who is in his 70s, said he hadn’t been looking to sell the business, but when he was approached a few years ago by developer Kalonymus LLC to buy the property and an adjoining parcel he owned, the deal was too good to pass up, he said.
The amount offered covered both the value of the property and the cost to purchase the business, he said. Malecót didn’t reveal the price, but according to the San Diego County recorder’s office, his two parcels sold for $7 million.
Malecót told the La Jolla Light in February 2025 that the sale negotiations took place in March 2023 as he eyed retirement. He said last week that his involvement in Dudley’s Bakery is a “semi-retirement” for him, as he’ll focus on offering his expertise to the staff and managing Dudley’s on a part-time basis.
Malecót said earlier that he was aware Kalonymus had a housing project in mind when it made the deal for The French Gourmet, but he assumed it would be moderately sized and that he had no idea the plan was for a 239-foot-tall building with 214 residential units and ground-floor shops that has drawn the ire of the surrounding community.
After he gave his customers notice of the sale, the last 10 months in operation were “dreadful as far as business,” Malecót said. “I should have said ‘Forget it’ and close it as planned and I would have saved myself hundreds of thousands of dollars. Everybody stayed on payroll. So because of the lack of revenue and the fact [that] people are not happy with what’s going to happen to the building, we suffered a drastic cutback in business.”
Playa Kitchen
Torrey Pines Science Park, a 25-acre lab and office campus overlooking Torrey Pines Golf Course, recently welcomed a new coastal-inspired cafe.
Clique Hospitality’s Playa Kitchen officially opened March 18 at 11011 N. Torrey Pines Road. The cafe offers breakfast and lunch menus along with fresh juices, smoothies and craft coffee.
The restaurant spans 3,700 square feet and includes a 40-seat dining room, 17-seat bar lounge and 1,100-square-foot patio accommodating up to 28 people.
“Playa was created to reflect the way people work and connect today,” Andy Masi, founder of Clique Hospitality, said in a statement. “More than just a place to dine, it’s an elevated, design-forward cafe that feels both productive and restorative. It’s a space where you can move seamlessly from morning coffee to a working lunch to an afternoon reset, all while feeling grounded in the coastal environment.”
Playa Kitchen’s menu includes the Think Tank Bowl, priced at $17. (Clique Hospitality)
Highlights from the breakfast menu include a Think Tank Bowl with red potato hash, egg whites, caramelized onions, cherry tomatoes, roasted mushrooms, avocado, spinach and feta. Lunch items include a roasted herb-marinated chicken salad, a tuna poke bowl and an On the Grind Burger with sharp cheddar and roasted garlic aioli.
Playa Kitchen is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Learn more and see the full menu at playakitchensd.com.
World Tribe Cashmere
One of the newest additions to La Jolla’s Village is a product of a mother-daughter collaboration.
Alicia Lozada and her daughter Daniella built World Tribe Cashmere, located at 7723 Fay Ave., on what they describe as “a holistic approach” to offering clothing and accessories from makers around the world, ranging from sustainable farming to combing, dehairing and spinning.
World Tribe Cashmere held a soft opening March 27 at 7723 Fay Ave. in La Jolla. (Provided by Alicia Lozada)
Alicia Lozada described opening the flagship store as a dream becoming reality.
“We’ve created an intimate, elegant space where art meets fashion and becomes a lifestyle,” she said. “What began as giving meaningful gifts to others has grown into a global tribe whose members span the world.”
The store held a soft opening March 27 and hopes to have a full opening in April.
For more information, visit world-tribe.com.
Joey at Westfield UTC
Joey Restaurants’ first San Diego location and 36th overall will open soon at Westfield UTC mall.
Joey offers a “handcrafted, locally and globally inspired menu” for lunch, happy hour, dinner and late-night bites. The company opened its first location in 1992 and expects to continue expanding into 2030.
The Westfield UTC restaurant will officially open Thursday, April 23, following a limited release of reservation times Saturday through Wednesday, April 18-22.
It will include a bar and lounge in the front, a dedicated DJ booth for select nights and special events, a wine wall, a raised dining space around a large olive tree and a rear dining space. The restaurant spans 10,600 square feet overall.
On the culinary side, Joey offers steaks, fire-torched sushi, fresh seafood, shareable plates and more. Signature dishes include bone-in ribeye and tomahawk steaks paired with crispy mashed potatoes. Newer dishes include truffle udon carbonara.
“Expanding into San Diego is a significant milestone for our brand and represents an exciting step in our growth strategy,” company President Layne Krienke said in a statement. “La Jolla’s coastal energy, world-class shopping and strong culinary culture make it a natural fit.”
For reservations and more information, visit joeyrestaurants.com.
Roppongi ribbon-cutting
Months after it reopened, Roppongi Restaurant & Lounge in La Jolla hosted a ribbon-cutting event March 25.
Roppongi, first opened in 1998 by restaurateur Sami Ladeki, serves Asian cuisine ranging from crab stacks and Mongolian shrimp to Tahitian bananas for dessert. The menu also includes sushi, wok-fired creations and shareable plates.
It reopened Dec. 4 at 875 Prospect St. after closing a decade earlier because of rising rent costs.
Members of the La Jolla Town Council and La Jolla Village Merchants Association join Roppongi General Manager Humberto Ramirez, team member Jo Mollenhauer, President and Chief Financial Officer Amy Bulgatz and executive chef Alfie Szeprethy at a March 25 ribbon-cutting to celebrate the restaurant’s recent reopening. (Roppongi Restaurant & Lounge)
The ribbon-cutting included Ladeki, executive chef Alfie Szeprethy and representatives of the La Jolla Village Merchants Association and La Jolla Town Council.
Roppongi has a happy hour from 2 to 5 p.m. daily. Dinner is served from 5 to 10 p.m. Find out more at roppongiusa.net/restaurant-and-lounge.
— San Diego Union-Tribune staff writer Pam Kragen contributed to this report.
La Jolla Business Roundup is published monthly by the La Jolla Light. Send your business news to staff writer Noah Lyons at noah.lyons@lajollalight.com. ♦
Dining and Cooking