A lack of foot traffic has affected two Little Italy businesses. Sirena Cocina Latina, the South American restaurant which opened in 2014, and The Cheese Store of San Diego, a cheese market and bistro that opened in 2015, will both close for business in the coming weeks.
Sirena opened in a remote location at 1901 Columbia Street in Little Italy in October 2014. The restaurant closed in early 2016 for a remodel and concept redesign and recently introduced a popular Ceviche Wednesdays series. Despite receiving positive reviews throughout its tenure, the restaurant suffered due to a lack of pedestrian traffic and will close after service this Saturday, February 18. Sirena's Executive Chef Jaime Chavez will relocate to Mazatlan, Mexico to manage the culinary aspects of Hoteles Inn de Mexico.
The Cheese Store, opened at 1980 Kettner Boulevard by Marci Flores in January 2015, announced in an email newsletter that it will close on Sunday, February 26. The company will also discontinue its stall at the Little Italy Mercato in the coming month. Moving into The Cheese Store space is Bar Bodega, a Spanish-style tapas bar and eatery with a kitchen helmed by Chef David Lopez Gutierrez, who previously worked at Chad White's Comun and MIHO catering before that.
