The Port of San Diego selected Carnitas' Snack Shack, which operates popular restaurants in North Park and Del Mar, as the tenant for the upcoming walk-up café through a competitive process, as part of efforts to support a vibrant and active waterfront and enhance the San Diego destination. The café building is among $31.1 million in recent public improvements to the North Embarcadero waterfront area.
The Carnitas' food truck will be parked in front of the Port of San Diego's B Street Cruise Ship Terminal, just north of its future building location in Broadway Landing, operating from 10am to 7pm, Wednesday through Sunday. The hours may change according to the seasons and weather. Chef Hanis Cavin and his team will be serving a menu based on as many locally sourced ingredients as possible. There will also be a selection of vegetarian items.
The Board of Port Commissioners approved the lease for the new Carnitas' Snack Shack walk-up café at its May 12, 2015 meeting. It will be housed in an artistically designed structure that is part of the Port's North Embarcadero Visionary Plan Phase 1 project. It includes multiple, angled glass panels of varying colors. Carnitas' is installing exterior glass and interior finishes that include restaurant equipment, flooring, ceiling, heating and air conditioning equipment, utilities, millwork and interior walls, plus an outdoor seating area.
The walk-up café will also include a locally-sourced craft beer garden component. (The food truck will not serve alcohol.) Customers will be able to enjoy their food in adjacent seating areas along the waterfront and under jacaranda trees surrounding the café.