Del Mar Got the Bully's Corner Back This Fall. Pacifica Del Mar Has Until December.

A row of bright yellow umbrellas now lines a sunken patio at 1404 Camino Del Mar. The vintage-style pole sign out front uses the same yellow. Inside are red brick walls, wood-paneled booths and heavy ceiling beams, and according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the room is designed to "feel like a longtime fixture." It isn't one yet. Honor Bar, from the Hillstone Restaurant Group, opened this year on the corner where Bully's ran for 48 years before closing in 2017. The original building, with its white brick front, was torn down and the new one built from the ground up.

Two blocks north, Pacifica Del Mar is in its last season. It opened in 1989 as one of the first businesses in the new Del Mar Plaza, and it plans to close in December because the Plaza chose not to renew its lease. So this year, a corner that sat in limbo for close to a decade finally reopened, and a restaurant that lasted 37 years got roughly seven months' notice. Food trends don't explain either one. Each story moved at the speed of whoever controlled the property.

The Corner Hillstone Waited Out

The Bully's site never went up for lease in the usual way. Reporting in 2017 described a land deal: Hillstone had been negotiating with owner Beverly Yuhause-Becker and would buy the site if the city approved its redevelopment plan. When a buyer plans to own a site for decades, it can afford a long approval process and a long build. The public record shows how long that took.

The public record documents design review, the neighbors' appeal, and construction activity years later. It does not give a single reason for the full gap. The 2017 plans called for about 120 seats in roughly 4,700 square feet, plus 82 parking spaces. At the time, the restaurant was pitched as something like Hillstone's R+D Kitchen. The concept that opened is a different one.

Honor Bar Del Mar joins a short list of Honor Bar locations in Beverly Hills, Dallas, Montecito and Palm Beach. The group describes the concept as "small in size but big in spirit." If you remember Bully's for steak and cocktails, the categories carry over, but the format doesn't. Honor Bar serves shareable plates like deviled eggs and chicken meatballs, hand-rolled sushi, Osaka-style pressed sushi stacked in layers of tuna, avocado and rice, the Honor Burger with cheddar and coleslaw, a French dip, cedar plank salmon and a USDA prime flat iron steak. A Bloody Mary variation called the Kickstart is poured on weekends only.

Pacifica's 37 Years Ended at a Lease Renewal

Pacifica Del Mar was in a different position. It was a tenant, and a tenant's future depends on the landlord's plans. The restaurant announced its closing on May 15. Del Mar Plaza confirmed it had decided not to renew the lease for the coming year and said it would name a new operator in the coming months. Property manager Tamara Failla explained the decision this way:

"As part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing the guest experience and maintaining the highest standards for the Plaza, we periodically evaluate our tenant mix and long-term vision for the property. Following this review, we have chosen to move forward with a new restaurant operator whose concept aligns with our goals for the future of Del Mar Plaza."

As of early October, the Plaza has not publicly named that operator, and no public source gives Pacifica's last night of service. Pacifica has made it through recessions, an ownership change in 2016, when Kipp Downing and Jacquee Renna-Downing sold it to Sangiv Chopra, and the pandemic. It still serves sugar-spiced salmon, a dish on the menu since opening day. The restaurant says several staff members have worked there more than 30 years. Its May statement asked people to "visit us one last time before we close our doors."

The Plaza Has Been Choosing Its Tenants on Purpose

Pacifica's closing fits a pattern at the Plaza that goes back several years. Patty and Marc Brutten bought Del Mar Plaza in February 2017 through their firm, Brixton Capital. The previous owners were not based locally. By 2019, The Coast News was reporting four vacancies and a 10% drop in net operating income for 2018. That same year, a specific-plan amendment raised the Plaza's cap on restaurant spaces from six to nine and relaxed some limits on signage and kiosks. By August 2024, co-owner Patty Brutten said the Plaza had "never been healthier." She described holding spaces open for uses that work well together.

The 2026 changes follow the same approach:

• Valley Farm Market and High Marea opened side by side at suites 107 and 106. The market opened in late December 2025, and both held a grand opening on Jan. 10. Third-generation owner Derek Marso calls the Baja-style High Marea "an extension" of the market.
• Pacifica Breeze Cafe, Pacifica's separate casual sibling, closed in late April, a couple of weeks before Pacifica's own announcement.
• La La Land Cafe signed for that 1,168-square-foot mezzanine space in an announcement dated Aug. 11. No construction or opening date has been set. Brixton's Rob Taylor said the cafe's "shared spaces that encourage human connections" fit the Plaza's goal of attracting "fresh, exciting brands."

No reporting ties Pacifica's closing specifically to rent. The Plaza's stated reason is its tenant mix, and in 2019 Brutten described the Plaza's rates as "below market." By the Plaza's own account, these changes came from a landlord deciding which mix of tenants it wants.

Queenstown Moved Into a Space That Was Ready

The third major opening of 2026 shows a faster option for restaurants coming to Del Mar. Queenstown Del Mar opened on May 21 at 1435 Camino Del Mar in the former WestBrew space. It's the first North County location for Queenstown Hospitality Group, founded by Matt Baker and PJ Lamont, and chef Yohalmo Rosales runs a New Zealand-influenced menu. Baker called Del Mar "a natural next step" and pointed to demand for a "solid, local neighborhood eatery."

So Queenstown took an existing space and opened within the year, while Hillstone built from scratch on land it planned to own and spent most of a decade getting there. All three of this year's biggest changes came from property decisions. That's why the Village looks different in October 2026 than it did a year ago.

Planning Your Fall Around the Changes

A few practical notes for the next couple of months:

1. Honor Bar has its own rules. It doesn't take reservations, but you can call ahead to get on the waitlist. It prefers parties of four or fewer, it's cashless, and it enforces a dress code: no sportswear, backwards hats or flip-flops. It's open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with parking under the building, entered from the alley off 13th Street.
2. Pacifica's last stretch includes one more race meet. Over the years, Pacifica has drawn racetrack visitors along with weeknight regulars and people celebrating birthdays and anniversaries. The Bing Crosby Season runs Nov. 6–29, with the FanDuel Racing Turf Festival Nov. 26–29. Because no closing date has been announced, check with the restaurant before you book a December dinner.
3. La La Land Cafe has no opening date. The lease is signed, and that's all that has been made public.
4. The Plaza's next restaurant is still unnamed. Del Mar Plaza said it would announce the operator in the coming months. Until it does, any name you hear is unconfirmed.

Sudden turnover like Pacifica's makes sense once you know who owns the building and who holds the lease. We keep track of how ownership and lease timing shape Del Mar's commercial blocks. If you'd like to know what that means for your own street or your plans, reach out to O'Rourke Realty. Contact John & Yani.