Workers erected fencing around the long-vacant lot on Nov. 18 to prepare for construction. Photo by Dani Schwartz

A long-vacant parcel of land boasting sweeping views at the Coronado Ferry Landing is being developed into restaurant space after years of delays.

This week, Ferry Landing Associates staged construction for its new restaurant, which has a projected opening date of December 2026, according to Brianne Mundy Page, senior public information officer for the Port of San Diego.

The project, whose scope dictates a single-story restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating for 300 guests, was first approved by the San Diego Board of Port Commissioners in 2018.

It will be built on the vacant lot next to Il Fornaio. Parking for restaurant patrons will be accommodated by the existing, 269-spot parking lot. The port approved the development of two restaurants decades ago, but only one was built (currently Il Fornaio, which opened in Sept. 1999).

The parcel is under a public trust operated by the Port, and is leased to Ferry Landing Associates. The proposed operator for the restaurant is is Social Syndicate, whose 13-restaurant portfolio includes Rosie O’Grady’s and The Rabbit Hole in Normal Heights, La Doña and OB Surf Lodge in Ocean Beach, The Local Pacific Beach, and the Monarch Ocean Pub in Del Mar.

The Board of Port Commissioners approved the proposed restaurant in Sept. 2024.

A rendering of the potential restaurant, which will include indoor and outdoor seating for 300 guests. Port of San Diego presentation photo.