A towering construction crane tore into the roof of Anthony’s Fish Grotto, a staple of the San Diego waterfront for a half century, Thursday to make way for a new multi-restaurant property.
Demolition began this week and will remove the last vestige of what was a landmark to the waterfront's North Embarcadero when it is completed next month. Crews began gutting the former seafood restaurant's interior in December, spokesperson for the Port of San Diego, Brianne Page, said.
Anthony's closed on Jan. 31, 2017, the day their lease for the property on North Harbor Drive expired. The popular seafood spot had occupied the space for 52 years before the Port of San Diego chose not to renew their lease, instead, going with The Brigantine, Inc.
The Brigantine, Inc. competed with Sunroad Enterprises and Fish Market Restaurants, the latter in partnership with Anthony’s, to secure a 40-year lease for the prime waterfront real estate in October 2017.
Construction of their new "Portside Pier," as it has been dubbed, will begin in April.
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Portside Pier will bring four new restaurants divided into two levels to North Embarcadero — Brigantine on the Bay, featuring surf & turf and other popular seafood staples in an exhibition-style setting; Miguel’s Cocina, with "some of the most authentic Mexican flavors north of the border;" Ketch Grill & Taps, a casual grill offering fresh pub fare; and Portside Gelato & Coffee, a coffee house with an assortment of the fine Italian treats.
The Brigantine, Inc., which owns more than a dozen restaurants across San Diego County, plans to invest more than $14 million into the location’s mixed-use redevelopment project and their newest dining concepts, according to the Port of San Diego.
The port highlights that the concept will allow the public to better access the waterfront with an upper-level viewing deck, a walkway along the water’s edge and a "dock-and-dine," where boaters can pull their vessels up to the restaurant for a unique dining experience.
Once Portside Pier opens, the restaurant group is expected to pay $1.1 million a year in rent to the Port of San Diego. The money will be used to fund the other redevelopments along the waterfront among other public projects funded by the Port of San Diego.
