North Park’s beloved Chop Suey landmark is getting a second act. The longtime home of Pekin Cafe Chop Suey, which fed the neighborhood for nearly 90 years, is being reborn as Chop Suey Lounge & Ginger Roots, a dual-concept cocktail and dining project aiming to open in late 2026. The plan is to keep the instantly recognizable exterior intact while turning the inside into a fresh stage for dinner, drinks and live entertainment.
A Two-Part Revival
Front and center will be Chop Suey Lounge, set to channel a mid-century lounge feel with craft cocktails, top-shelf spirits and a rotating lineup of local performers that includes live jazz and DJs. Tucked behind it, Ginger Roots will run as a tiny, reservation-only chef’s table with just eight seats and its own private dining room. According to WhatNow, the food is billed as elevated Asian-fusion and Chinese-inspired bar fare, built to carry guests smoothly from dinner service into the late-night crowd.
A $2 Million Restoration
The overhaul comes with a price tag of about $2,000,000 in restoration work, with the team committing to preserve the historically protected façade while overhauling the roughly 3,500-square-foot interior for modern hospitality. SanDiegoVille reports that the redesign will lean on warm wood, layered lighting and a flexible floor plan that can shift from sit-down dinner to late-night programming without missing a beat.
Who’s Behind The Reboot
Founding partners Jacquelyn Kelly and Jason Bess are steering the comeback. Kelly brings more than 15 years of hospitality leadership to the project, while Bess contributes two decades of experience in corporate HVAC and plumbing, a combination the group says will help keep the historic building functional for the long haul. In a statement shared with WhatNow, Kelly said, “Culture creates community — and community creates longevity,” adding that the reboot intends to pay tribute to early figures who shaped the original cafe, including Kway Chew, the Fong family and Frank Chan.
North Park Legacy And What’s Next
The space at 2877 University Avenue debuted as Pekin Cafe Chop Suey in 1931 and held its ground as a neighborhood fixture until it closed in 2019, a run documented by the San Diego Reader. Coverage of the revival notes that the team is eyeing a late 2026 opening and framing the project as part of a broader rethink of Chinese-American cuisine in San Diego’s dining scene, according to SanDiegoVille.
