After years of sitting dark on one of La Jolla's most visible corners, the old Jack in the Box at 564 Pearl Street is finally getting new life. El Pueblo Mexican Food is moving into the long-vacant space, bringing a budget-friendly taco stop back to the village and putting an end to the empty-lot blues that started when the burger chain shut down in 2021.
El Pueblo Starts Work On Pearl Street
El Pueblo's general manager, Nony Funes, confirmed that the team has already started improving the property. He described the brand as "big on good food at a great price," with salsas that are "hot with flavor, not just spice," according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. The company told the paper that much of its food is prepared in-house and that it operates close to a scratch kitchen. There is still no firm public opening date.
Bishop's School Plays Landlord
The corner parcel at 564 Pearl Street was purchased by the Bishop's School in 2021 for $5.5 million, and it has remained empty since the Jack in the Box closed that September, with the lot pressed into service for school bus parking in the meantime, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. A prospective lease reportedly collapsed in August 2022, and the school has said that renting the spot to a local operator is the best short-term move while longer-term student plans are still being developed. Bishop's spokeswoman Cathy Morrison told the paper that leasing to El Pueblo is currently the best use for both the school and the La Jolla community.
From Tiny Fish Tacos To Coastal Chain
El Pueblo started as a roughly 600-square-foot fish-taco shop in Cardiff and has since added locations in Del Mar, Carmel Valley and Carlsbad, according to WhatNow San Diego. The owner has described the concept as a blend of fast-casual convenience with made-from-scratch preparations, and newer outposts have rolled out fuller cocktail programs as the group has grown. The La Jolla location will test how well that bargain-minded approach fits into the village's higher-priced dining scene.
What Happens Next
Specific lease terms and a target opening timeline have not been made public, and the Bishop's School has not announced any deadline for eventually converting the site for student use. For now, the corner appears set to trade an idle parking lot for a familiar local taco counter, and La Jolla's restaurant map looks poised to get a little more taco-centric once the doors finally open.
