All-in-One Cafe, Market, and Italian Restaurant Arrives in Encinitas

A community space combining a market, cafe, cocktail bar, and a restaurant called Mrkt Space has landed on the 101 just blocks from Encinitas Beach. Owner Matt Power lives in North County, but opened the first Mrkt Space in Australia offering the convenience of a corner store with the multiple dining options of an all-day cafe, where neighbors might grab coffee in the morning and then a glass of wine and charcuterie plate after work. He now intends to expand to several areas in and around San Diego.

The 2,850-square-foot Encinitas location operates from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, starting with espresso drinks, fueled by La Mesa’s Public Square Coffee and made in the Australian style, which Power says is typified by the use of smoother and lighter roasts. With seating for 60 indoors and out, the restaurant and bar serves a menu that ranges from breakfast toasts and baked eggs to salads, sandwiches, flatbreads, and meat and cheese boards, plus cocktails, beer, and wine. Around the space, coolers and shelves are stocked with everything from eggs and fresh pasta to pantry items, gourmet chocolate, and bottles of wine. There’s also a gift section, as well as a variety of grab-and-go dishes.

Mrkt Space

MRKT SPACE

Power tells Eater that he plans to use a central communal table to host guest chef appearances and wine tastings in the future. He’s already working on building more Mrkt Space locations, including one in La Jolla Shores that should open by the end of the year and another in Rancho Santa Fe that will include a rooftop deck.

Mrkt Space

Mrkt Space, 782 N. Coast Highway 101, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

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