Vista’s Flying Pig to Renovate and Reopen Next Month

Vista’s Flying Pig Pub & Kitchen opened about two years ago, attempting to replicate the success of the company’s first location in Oceanside, a popular farm-to-table spot. But while the restaurant has garnered praise for its dishes and dining room (both of which have expanded the scope of what’s available in downtown Vista), business has slowed down lately, and the location is preparing for a big change.

”We made a mistake,” owner Aaron Browning tells Eater. “We should have given Vista their own restaurant. We shouldn’t have tried to copy the Oceanside Pig. It took us four and a half years to figure it out.”

The Vista location is closing as the Flying Pig Pub & Kitchen on September 1 and planning a quick remodel and revamp, re-opening just nine days later as the Town Hall Public House. The location is also bringing back its original chef, Mario Moser, who relocated to Colorado last year but is now returning to the area with his family.

With a name intended to evoke a public meeting place, Browning says the food will be gearing more towards more family-friendly sharing plates. The Tavern Hall will offer lunch for the first time, along with a larger small plate section, including focaccia pizzas and pork belly dishes, and an expanded beer and cocktail program. The gastropub focus will remain, Browning promises, “but we’ll still have that southern flair, and we’re keeping in with the seasonal, organic, local as much as possible.”

The renovation will open up the space, adding a lounge area and patio in front. There will also be some shuffleboard tables and cornhole boards added, along with a few more TVs to watch, all to make the restaurant a little less formal and more friendly.

The company is also very busy working to open a third location in Bressi Ranch (set to premiere on September 15) that will be called Bantam’s Roost.