The Old California Restaurant Row in San Marcos used to be a dining destination, featuring 19 eateries and plenty of parking.
“The place was packed, Friday, Saturday, Sunday,” recalled Erin Harper.
Now it’s more like a ghost town, full of empty storefronts that used to pack in crowds of diners. On one building a sign reads Hard Hat Zone, its windows dirty and the place looking rundown.
Where there were once 19 restaurants, now there are now fewer than 10.
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“Over time, we saw the place kind of fall into decay, like not being taken care of the way that it needed to, restaurants leaving, the opportunities that were once here just not here anymore,” said Harper, who owns Ascend Coffee Roasters.
Ascend used to be the Old California Coffee Company, but Harper changed the name after seeing the writing on the wall and coming to terms with the fact that Restaurant Row is never going to return to its former glory.
“We started working harder at being a destination on our own that people wanted to come to and provide that community vibe and feeling here,” Harper said.
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Harper’s lease is now month-to-month, since the new owner of Restaurant Row and the Lennar Company are working to develop a mixed-use property they hope will recapture what people loved about the property when it was thriving.
The site will feature 202 townhomes, a park, walking paths and 10,400 square feet of retail space. There are also plans for 17,000 additional square feet of outdoor space, which could be used for outdoor dining.
Harper says her customers aren’t thrilled.
“They’re bummed out," Harper said. "I don’t really hear much excitement, like, 'Oh! What’s coming?' especially because it’s projected to be condos and housing with a few restaurants and this is known for businesses that attract people to come in. “
Eldon Eller has been getting his morning double espresso at Harper’s coffeeshop for three decades. The 93-year-old said he’s seen a lot of change in his lifetime.
“This place could not remain the same place it was 30, 40 years ago, so we shall see," Eller said. "Maybe it’ll turn out to be a better place. Certainly its gonna be a better place than it is now. It’s glory days may yet be ahead of it.”
A public hearing on the project is expected to be scheduled this fall. If all goes as planned, demolition could begin as early as next year.
No decision has been made on what to call the new development if it comes to pass. An artist’s rendering shows signage that calls it The Row, but a representative of the developer said that’s an unlikely choice.
