Cheers To Seven Years | Mission Hills' Starlite Shines Bright with 7 Days of Charity Celebrations for its 7th Anniversary

September 15, 2014

Starlite in Mission Hills is celebrate its 7 year anniversary with a 7-day charity initiative from September 29 to October 5. The owners and local indie music legends, Tim Mays (Casbah, Krakatoa) and Matt Hoyt (music video director and three-time winner at the San Diego Film Awards), have supported small farmers and purveyors the same way they've supported small bands and relatively unknown artists over the years - just part of the reason that the Starlite concept has found success since it opened doors in 2007. In addition to partnering with organizations such as The San Diego Music Foundation, Slow Food Urban San Diego, Olivewood Gardens, Wild Willow Farm and more for the week, their high-design, midcentury-modern inspired haunt will also break out a stash of Pappy Van Winkle for their anniversary celebrations, the extremely rare family reserve whisky, which has developed a cult-like following.

When the swanky, dimly lit venue opened doors in 2007, progressive restaurants and the current crop of the city’s nationally recognized craft cocktail bars were sparse in San Diego’s neighborhoods, while the city’s late night dining options were limited to Mexican food and midnight diners. Hoyt & Mays embraced the opportunity to become one of the first independent restaurants in the city to pair a forward-thinking cocktail program alongside sophisticated after-hours culinary fare and fine organic cuisine.

In fact, a few of Starlite’s earliest “regulars” who graced the stools around the venue’s signature sunken square bar have now gone onto become some of the biggest names in San Diego’s thriving hospitality scene. Mays & Hoyt were perhaps among some of the very first to actively cultivate a growing community of cocktail enthusiasts—savvy individuals who expected more, settled less and were eager to embrace the now exploding cocktail renaissance in San Diego.

For Starlite's 7th anniversary, Matt & Tim invite the community to filter through the hexagonal slatted tunnel-entryway to mingle and enjoy special $7 prices on menu offerings and classically made cocktails for seven days straight, including Kentucky Colonels and the famous ginger-brewed Starlite Mules that helped put the retro nightcap spot on the map.

Often regarded as one of the finest bourbons in the world, Starlite was one of the first and only venues in San Diego to offer Pappy Van Winkle - the Family Reserve Whisky that’s high in demand and hard to find. For the die-hard bourbon aficionados, Pappy will be making a surprise appearance in San Diego during the celebration, as Starlite pulls from their personal stash to offer special pours of their Rye, 10 year, 12 year, 15 year, 20 year, 23 year (ranging from $16-$73 per pour) starting on Monday, September 29 at 7pm until it is gone.

Starlite will also offer seven evenings of giving back to local charities, donating a portion of proceeds of all sales to seven area charity partners. The 7 year anniversary, 7 days of charity schedule includes the following charities:

DAY 1- MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29: SAN DIEGO MUSIC FOUNDATION (Beginning at 7pm)
DAY 2- TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30: SLOW FOOD URBAN SAN DIEGO
DAY 3- WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1: THE SAN DIEGO COOPERATIVE CHARTER SCHOOLS
DAY 4- THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2: MUSEUM SCHOOL
DAY 5- FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3: SAN DIEGO ROOTS: WILD WILLOW FARM
DAY 6- SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4: MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART SAN DIEGO
DAY 7- SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5th: OLIVEWOOD GARDENS

Starlite is located at 3175 India Street and can be reached by calling (619) 358-9766 or visiting starlitesandiego.com.