Pacific Coast Grill in Cardiff-by-the-Sea will serve its last meal before a major renovation on January 3, 2027, shutting its doors for what owners describe as a multi-month expansion that will nearly double its seating capacity and triple its kitchen space. The closure marks the long-awaited payoff of permit applications the restaurant first filed years ago, refiled after the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the project.
According to San Diego Magazine, the restaurant plans to reopen in a few months once the buildout is complete. The expansion will push the restaurant into the vacant property next door, growing the footprint to around 16,000 square feet and increasing seating from 220 to 440 seats. The current kitchen will triple in size, and a new back kitchen will be added so the restaurant can host private events without pulling resources from regular service.
What's Changing Inside and Out
Plans call for a new patio, a relocated bar to open up more ocean-facing seating, and a layout that includes a main bar, additional seating, two stories of windows, and an entryway connecting both spaces, per the same report. The main dining room will stay on the first floor with more room built in for private events, and the restaurant will keep its existing entrance. Menu-wise, the owners will likely add a few new dishes and expand the sushi offerings, while chef Israel Balderas and general manager Miguel Zamora are expected to stay on.
The project retains architect John Daniels of Primary General and designer Georgia Goldberg, who have worked with Pacific Coast Grill since 1987. Owners Steve Goldberg and Phil Berkovitz bought the restaurant's building and land back in August 2014, and the neighboring lot they're now expanding into had sat vacant for 12 years. Before that, the space was home to the Beach House for 20 years — and before that, the Triton for 40 years, a restaurant known for stained glass and artistic motifs created by James Hubbell.
Owners Call It the Project of a Lifetime
“We will not change the restaurant's identity,” Goldberg said, according to the article, framing the expansion as a chance to take the restaurant's work to another level. Goldberg also said guests will still be able to see as far south as La Jolla on clear days. He called the project “the ultimate” for him and Berkovitz, and said it will be their focus for the rest of their restaurant careers. Berkovitz, for his part, said the expansion will be worth the wait.
During the closure, some staff are expected to work at Belly Up, another venue tied to the same ownership group. Goldberg and Berkovitz have operated businesses in North County for nearly 40 years and have been involved with Belly Up, the adjacent Belly Up Tavern, and Belly Up Entertainment alongside Pacific Coast Grill, located at 2526 S. Coast Hwy. 101 in Cardiff-by-the-Sea.
A Separate State Filing Raises Questions
Separately, a state WARN Act notice attributed to a Pacific Coast Grill Inc. and dated October 30, 2026 shows up in California's layoff filings, covering 119 jobs in San Diego County, according to jsilvermanlaw.com. That filing lists a last day of work of March 1, 2026, and classifies the action as a closure — details that do not match the January 3, 2027 closing date and temporary-expansion framing described above. The law firm's page calculates that the filing was dated 243 days after the last day of work it reports, meaning it gave no advance notice under that reading of the document. The available information does not explain the discrepancy between the two dates, nor does it establish whether the filing concerns the same closure, when employees were actually notified, or whether any violation occurred.
