Juan Carlos Gomez, the longtime owner of Old Town's El Agave, appears to be quietly lining up his next move in Bankers Hill. Public records tied to a pending liquor license filing indicate the former Barrio Star spot on Fifth Avenue is headed toward a new full-bar restaurant operated under an entity called Five Olives LLC. Gomez has not yet announced a name, a concept, or an opening date for the project.
License Filing Signals Move
Gomez has a pending application for a Type 47 full liquor license through Five Olives LLC to take over the former Barrio Star space, according to SanDiegoVille. The outlet first flagged the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control record and reported that the filing was listed as pending as of Monday.
A Familiar Corner
Barrio Star opened in 2010 and closed in late 2025 after more than a decade as a Bankers Hill mainstay, as reported by the Times of San Diego. With its prominent corner location and existing bar infrastructure, the site is a classic plug-and-play opportunity for restaurateurs in a neighborhood that has seen a flurry of openings, closures, and repositionings over the past year.
What Gomez Might Bring
Gomez launched El Agave Mexican Restaurant & Tequileria in Old Town in 1996 and built a reputation for refined regional Mexican dishes supported by an encyclopedic tequila and mezcal collection, per San Diego Magazine. He has also experimented with other concepts, including Iberico Spanish Bistro in La Jolla and the vinyl-driven Nómade Tapas & Records, which suggests his next move could lean on a serious drinks program paired with a distinctive dining vibe.
The Space and Next Steps
Commercial marketing for 2706 Fifth Avenue previously pitched the property as an “asset sale” that included ABC Type 47 and 77 licenses and described a turnkey restaurant with two dining rooms, a large patio, and a bar, according to a listing on Showcase. With the license transfer showing as pending and no formal announcement yet from Gomez, the next public clues will likely arrive in the form of building permits, design plans, or a press release that spells out the concept and timeline.
What To Watch
No official name, concept, or opening date has been released, as WhatNow notes. Locals will want to keep an eye on the ABC public record and city permit filings for confirmation; until those documents surface, the corner’s next chapter remains a matter of neighborhood speculation and cautious optimism.
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