Two high-design, plant-based hotspots in University Heights are heading for the exit. Vulture and Dreamboat, the ambitious vegan duo on Park Boulevard, will close after less than a year in business, with both spots serving through February 8 before calling it quits. The shutdown follows months of rising costs and a shifting real estate picture that has the Park Boulevard property quietly up for sale.
Who built them
The twin projects came from Kory Stetina, the restaurateur behind Kindred and Mothership, working with Arsalun Tafazoli of CH Projects. Vulture was conceived as an ambitious vegan fine-dining room with a mid-century flair, while Dreamboat, perched at the front, worked as a tiny retro micro-diner with just 10 seats. The two-part buildout at 4608 Park Boulevard was designed as a fully immersive, high-design plant-based destination, as reported by Eater San Diego.
Why they're closing
Owners and operators pointed to a long construction and opening delay, millions poured into transforming the building, and operating costs that piled up faster than the revenue could catch them. The result, they said, was a project that ended up overleveraged. "High opening and operating costs, combined with the economic realities of today, ultimately made it unsustainable," Stetina told San Diego Magazine. Both restaurants are set to keep normal service through February 8 to support staff and honor existing reservations before the lights go out.
Property on the market
The paired restaurants sit inside a renovated two-story building that quietly hit the market late last year. Marketing materials pitch the address as a turnkey space of roughly 4,460 square feet, complete with dual kitchens and premium sound systems, according to CommercialCafe. Reporting indicates the current owners bought the Park Boulevard property in 2020 for about $2.3 million, a long-term carrying cost that figured into the overall financial picture for the project, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Final weeks and staff
Stetina and his partners have stressed that the focus in these last weeks is on their team. They have said they want to "take care of our people" and use the remaining service days to celebrate the staff and the short but intense run of both concepts before shutting the doors. An Instagram post from the restaurants acknowledged the economics were "tougher-than-expected" and urged diners to come in while they still can, a message echoed in local coverage.
What this signals about plant-based dining
The closures highlight how elaborate, design-heavy concepts can be especially exposed when costs spike, even as interest in plant-based eating keeps climbing. The U.S. plant-based foods market was valued at around $8 billion in 2024, suggesting solid demand but tight margins for high-end, entirely vegan restaurants, according to Statista.
What's next
Stetina and Tafazoli continue to run other projects around San Diego, and locals will be watching to see who, if anyone, steps into the fully built-out Park Boulevard space next. For now, University Heights is set to lose two of its buzziest newcomers, a reminder that even celebrated operators are not immune to unforgiving economic math.
