ESCONDIDO — The Escondido City Council has approved the demolition of two vacant restaurant buildings, including one eligible for historic designation, to make way for four new drive-thru restaurants along major thoroughfares.
During a Nov. 20 meeting, the council unanimously granted permits for 4G Development & Consulting to tear down the former DiCicco’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria at 515 W. 13th Avenue to build a Chick-fil-A. The building, which housed a Marie Callender’s restaurant prior to DiCicco’s moving in, has been vacant since early 2023.
The new Chick-fil-A will feature a drive-thru capable of accommodating 41 cars and outdoor patio seating but no indoor dining. According to the developer, the site was unsuitable for a sit-down restaurant but is ideal for a drive-thru.
Not everyone supports the plan. Jordan Ciervo, who owns another Chick-fil-A roughly 1.5 miles away at 1290 Auto Park Way, raised concerns about oversaturation in the area.
“Being a mile down the road doesn’t actually reach a broader part of Escondido,” Ciervo said. “We would be splitting my current customer base and not necessarily reaching the east or south parts of Escondido that are underserved.”
Ciervo said the new location could force layoffs of “a significant part” of his staff. Despite his objections, the council approved the project in a 4-1 vote, with Councilmember Consuelo Martinez opposed.
A second project, near the intersection of Mission Avenue and Centre City Parkway, will redevelop the site of the former Pho Truc Xanh restaurant and an adjacent vacant lot into three drive-thru restaurants.
The Pho Truc Xanh building, constructed in 1962 in the Googie architectural style, is eligible for local and state historic designation. However, the council approved its demolition, with city staff noting better-preserved examples of the style exist elsewhere in Escondido.
The development will include a Starbucks, Chipotle and possibly a Pollo Campero, a Guatemalan fast-food chain that signed an agreement with the developer on the day of the council meeting. The restaurants will share the property with the existing Quality Inn.
As part of the project, developer Nilesh Patel of Stoneview Properties will realign traffic lanes and install a new access point from Centre City Parkway. Improvements include a dedicated right-turn lane into the property and a traffic signal for northbound left-turn access.
“It’s very difficult to access this property off of Mission, so the ingress and egress off Centre City Parkway is a must,” said Patrick Cox, development director of JPC Properties, a partner on the project.
The council approved the project in a 3-1 vote, with Martinez opposing and Deputy Mayor Christian Garcia recusing himself after discovering a campaign donor had financial ties to the development. Martinez objected to granting $412,000 in fee credits to the developer, arguing it was unfair to waive the charges.
“I don’t feel it’s fair to waive that,” Martinez said, adding that she was also saddened by the loss of both buildings.
Mayor Dane White and other council members supported the fee reductions, citing the benefits of revitalizing a blighted area.
“We need to get rid of the blight, and this is the best opportunity we have at this time,” said Councilmember Mike Morasco.
The projects are expected to generate over $1.5 million in tax revenue for Escondido in the next decade and create more than 125 jobs. Construction is anticipated to begin within the next year.
