Various bites, services and sights are available with the latest batch of business openings in La Jolla.
Here’s an update.
Jaybird Superette
A business described as a “fancy bodega” is coming this month to 6435 Caminito Blythefield.
Jaybird Superette offers a variety of treats throughout the day, from coffee and pastries in the morning to sandwiches with house-baked bread for lunch to charcuterie plates in the evening, according to co-owner Peter Kobulnicky.
The store also sells pasta, olive oil and vinegars in addition to cut-to-order cheeses and a variety of beverages.
Jaybird Superette will have what Kobulnicky describes as a “very soft opening” this week, followed by a grand opening during Valentine’s Day weekend.
Kobulnicky owns and operates the business alongside his wife, Hannah Kinney.
“We’re especially enthusiastic about being one of the only cut-to-order cheese counters south of L.A.,” Kobulnicky said. “We want folks to be able to come in every week to try new, exciting, rare and different food and drinks from small producers all over the world.”
Keep an eye out for updates at instagram.com/jaybirdsuperette.
Sugared + Bronzed
After hosting a pop-up in The Shops at La Jolla Village in October, Sugared + Bronzed now has a permanent store there.
Sugared + Bronzed opened at 8843 Villa La Jolla Drive on Feb. 2. (Miami Real Estate Productions and The Snap Market)
Sugared + Bronzed opened Feb. 2 at 8843 Villa La Jolla Drive. The previous pop-up served as an introduction to the business as work on the new storefront began. The pop-up was dismantled and relocated upon the store’s opening, according to spokeswoman Maggie Fowler.
The Southern California-founded business offers services for sunless tanning and sugaring, an Egyptian technique using sugar, lemon and water to exfoliate the skin and remove hair from the root.
“S+B helps clients prepare for vacations, weddings, red carpet moments or everyday confidence with services and spaces that feel elevated and luxurious while remaining affordable,” Fowler said.
The store is inspired by “San Diego’s sunny, laid-back lifestyle” and features coastal and Mediterranean influences including Moroccan checkerboard tile toward the entrance. The lobby includes Gray Malin’s photography as part of a partnership.
Learn more at sugaredandbronzed.com.
Navore Market
Navore Market, akin to a virtual farmers market, expanded its scope starting Jan. 13 with the opening of its first aggregation hub, or centralized community pickup location, at La Jolla United Methodist Church, 6063 La Jolla Blvd. The hub operates at the church from 2 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays.
Navore Market was launched in early 2025 to “provide a convenient online marketplace that connects users to fresh local produce directly from local farmers and producers,” according to founder and La Jolla resident Caroline Driehaus.
To use the online Navore Market, customers enter their address on the website and find local farmers and producers who serve their area, then assemble a cart with what is available and schedule delivery if offered or arrange pickup. (Navore Market)
Navore offers both pickup and delivery for local food orders, but the aggregation hub is “expanding access to fresh local food for community members and local organizations,” said representative Jamie Paris.
Paris added that the rollout is supported by the USDA Local Food Promotion Program available for enterprises involved in processing, distributing, aggregating or storing locally or regionally produced food.
Navore currently is offering a half-off promotion with the code “LAJOLLA50” for La Jolla residents who would like to try Navore and its aggregation hub. Learn more at navoremarket.com.
Krista Schumacher Art Gallery
After opening her first La Jolla gallery in 2021, palette-knife oil painter Krista Schumacher’s work is back with a new location in The Jewel.
Krista Schumacher Art Gallery opened in October at 1111 Prospect St. and had a grand opening Dec. 5.
Krista Schumacher’s art gallery is at 1111 Prospect St. in La Jolla. (Zach Lopez / Surreal Exposure)
The gallery features Schumacher’s art, defined by its heavy textures, bold color palettes and striking multi-dimensional form. Beyond her original paintings, she offers custom commissions for collectors’ homes and commercial spaces.
Schumacher has lived in La Jolla since 2017. Her first local gallery operated for 3½ years.
Her work also has been featured in collaborations with high-profile brands including Paramount Studios and Kaiser Permanente.
The new gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For more information, visit kristaschumacherart.com.
George’s at the Cove renovations
George’s at the Cove’s most recent renovation project is nearly complete, and the restaurant plans to reopen its Ocean Terrace dining area and bar on Friday, Feb. 6.
According to partner and chef Trey Foshee, the retooled Ocean Terrace includes new flooring, a 4-foot-tall perimeter glass wall, umbrellas with LED lighting, permanent heaters, wall sconces and dining tables. There also will be a new host stand for greeting guests.
George’s, at 1250 Prospect St., closed its Level2 dining area and bar for renovations in April. Work on the Ocean Terrace began in November.
The last time the terrace closed for a notable stretch of time — to make way for an elevated bar area — was in 2016.
To celebrate the reopening, George’s is offering 50% off select Hill Family Estate wine bottles for a month.
Learn more at georgesatthecove.com.
Coming to Westfield UTC
Katsuya Ko: This spin-off of Katsuya, a 25-year-old Los Angeles-based Japanese restaurant, is set to open Thursday, Feb. 5, at Westfield UTC mall at 4303 La Jolla Village Drive.
Katsuya Ko is designed to be a more casual, youth-oriented, approachable restaurant featuring shareable plates, a central robata grill and a design-forward ethos.
Katsuya Ko is a new Pan-Asian restaurant that will open Feb. 5 at the Westfield UTC shopping center. (Katsuya)
Ko means “child” in Japanese, representing chef Katsuya Uechi’s casual, family-friendly, experimental approach to dining. Offerings include sushi rolls, sashimi, specialty cocktails, Ko burgers and miso cod bites.
The new 3,000-square-foot location is near True Food Kitchen on the northeast corner of the mall.
Onigilly Japanese Kitchen: The restaurant’s UTC location, slated for opening this year, is part of the San Francisco-based chain’s ambitious Southern California expansion plan.
Onigilly Japanese Kitchen, founded by Koji Kanematsu, specializes in a popular Japanese rice ball snack called onigiri. The recipe looks a little different in the United States than it would in Japan. The rice snacks sold at Onigilly are not fashioned as balls but rather as triangular “sandwiches” so the filling is clearly visible, Kanematsu said.
The fillings include teriyaki chicken, tempura shrimp and shitake mushrooms.
While onigiri differs from sushi in that it typically doesn’t include raw fish, a few rice snacks on the Onigilly menu are filled with raw fish.
The chain, which started in 2006, currently has seven locations. It plans to open 20 to 30 outlets in Southern California, including six or more in San Diego.
Westfield UTC’s location is expected to open by summer, depending on how long it takes to secure permits from the city of San Diego, Kanematsu said.
Lucien named one of most beautiful restaurants in America
La Jolla’s Lucien fine-dining spot was named to the Robb Report’s list of the 21 Most Beautiful Restaurants in America for 2025.
Lucien landed ninth on the list. The 12-course tasting-menu restaurant at 7863 Girard Ave. was opened in July by chef Elijah Arizmendi and his partners and is named after his young son. It features an outdoor garden bar and a dark interior with tables tucked in sea-cave-style alcoves.
Le Coq chef Tara Monsod again a semifinalist for James Beard Award
Could the third time be the charm for Tara Monsod?
The executive chef for La Jolla’s French/Asian-inspired restaurant Le Coq and Animae restaurant in downtown San Diego has again been named a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation’s 2026 Best Chef: California award — the third consecutive year she has been so honored.
For the third year in a row, Animae and Le Coq executive chef Tara Monsod has been named a semifinalist for Best Chef: California in the James Beard Foundation’s competition. (Matt Furman)
The past two years, Monsod made it all the way to the final round without winning the trophy. The next round of the competition March 31 will winnow the candidates down to five finalists in each category. The final awards will be handed out in New York City on June 15.
Monsod is among 20 California chefs to make the semifinals this year.
She is the only San Diego County chef who has ever made it to the final round of the James Beard Awards competition, recognized as the Oscars of the culinary world. They honor the nation’s top restaurateurs, chefs, restaurants, bakeries, bars, bartenders, pastry chefs and more.
Monsod said she’s excited to receive another semifinalist honor and is grateful for how the news could bring in new diners.
“You become busier and more tired than the year before, but it’s a privilege to be this tired,” she said.
Monsod said honors like this couldn’t happen without her sous chefs and kitchen teams she oversees at Le Coq and Animae. Many of those staff members have followed Monsod from kitchen to kitchen as she has moved up San Diego’s restaurant ladder.
“I’m very blessed to have a strong team,” she said. “I worked really hard in my entire career to build relationships that are long-lasting, and it’s nice to see it’s being paid back. Being a nice person, it actually works.”
For the full national list of semifinalists, visit jamesbeard.org/stories/james-beard-award-semifinalists-2026.
— San Diego Union-Tribune staff writers Pam Kragen and Lori Weisberg 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. ♦