La Mesa Village is getting a serious dessert-and-coffee glow-up this summer, with Stella Jean’s ice cream and Pop Pie Co. moving into side-by-side spaces on the downtown strip. The arrivals will bring compact, counter-focused spots instead of full-service restaurants, adding quick-stop options for both early mornings and late nights in East County.
According to San Diego Magazine, Pop Pie Co. is set for 8247 La Mesa Blvd. and Stella Jean’s will take 8243 La Mesa Blvd., replacing the former Village Pet Salon and Act II. The outlet also reports these will be Stella Jean’s ninth location and Pop Pie Co.’s seventh, and that local brokerage Location Matters handled the leases.
Pop Pie Co. Plans A Coffee-Forward Pie Shop
Pop Pie Co. has built a local following around handheld sweet and savory pies, rotating global flavors and an all-day model that pairs morning coffee service with evening pie menus. "We just want to build community out there—be where people want us, and also where we really see opportunity to do what we do," founder Steven Torres told San Diego Magazine. The La Mesa shop is expected to feature a full coffee bar alongside the pies and ice cream locals already associate with the brand’s shared projects.
Stella Jean’s Brings Small-Batch Flavors
Stella Jean’s is a small-batch California ice cream outfit known for inventive flavors like pandan pistachio and mango sticky rice, along with vegan and seasonal offerings. Its site lists multiple locations across San Diego and Orange County. With a focus on locally sourced ingredients and handmade waffle cones, the concept lines up neatly with the compact La Mesa storefront, signaling a neighborhood scoop shop feel rather than a tourist-only draw.
Small Spaces, Steady Growth
The buildouts themselves are modest. A Crexi listing for 8243 La Mesa Blvd. shows a 1,284-square-foot retail space on the market, consistent with the roughly 1,300-square-foot figure reported by local outlets. Crexi lists the unit under a Location Matters agent, matching the brokerage role already tied to the deal.
The move follows a cautious, step-by-step expansion pattern the partners have used around San Diego, including when the brands helped launch a multi-operator project in South Park last year. Axios covered that rollout and highlighted the operators’ slow, strategic growth.
For now, neither the brands nor the landlord have announced firm opening dates beyond a general "this summer" timeline, and both operators are known to lean on soft openings before going full throttle. Hoodline will keep an eye on permits and public announcements as the La Mesa buildouts move ahead.
