Mission Bay Landmark Transforming Into Waterside Restaurant

A fresh-faced kid on the hospitality block is venturing to place an ambitious, large-scale restaurant venue just steps from the water in Mission Bay. Local design firm Playground Agency, whose work is showcased at North Park’s Chuck Alek Brewery & Tasting Room and Stuffed! in Liberty Public Market, recently launched a hospitality arm, Playground Concepts, that is developing this concept and other potential food and drink-related projects around Southern California. Founders Bradley and Kristine Schnell, together with COO Greg Van de Velde, a restaurant industry vet who was on the founding team of Bottega Americano, will transform a city-owned building that housed the San Diego Visitors Center for four decades until it shuttered in 2010 into a new bayside dining destination dubbed Shoreline.

Kristine Schnell told Eater that Playground Concepts is still crafting Shoreline’s food and beverage program and has not yet set a timeline for its opening; Schnell shared, “Our team is excited for the opportunity to reinvigorate this iconic San Diego building with new life. It's a space that holds fond memories for many San Diegans and we are looking forward to creating memories here for the next generation." The uniquely-shaped building, located at the juncture of East Mission Bay Drive and Clairemont Drive, was first built back in 1969 and spans 4,600-square-feet.