After less than a year in operation, San Diego-based Blue Bridge Hospitality (Liberty Public Market, Leroy's Kitchen & Lounge, Stake Chophouse ) has closed its bayfront Mexican concept El Roy's Tequila Bar + Kitchen in Coronado. Following the old adage, "when one door closes, another opens", the restaurant group will open Little Frenchie Bistro tomorrow, Friday, May 24.
When Candela's on the Bay shuttered in the beginning of 2018, one of San Diego’s leading restaurateurs - David Spatafore, principal of Blue Bridge Hospitality - took over management and operational responsibilities of the prime Coronado Ferry Landing space and transformed it into El Roy's Tequila Bar + Kitchen, which officially opened its doors to the public mid-August 2018. El Roy's quietly shuttered this week and we have no idea what Blue Bridge plans on doing with the 4,500 square-foot, indoor-outdoor waterfront space sited adjacent to Coronado's Ferry Landing. With the recent hiring of Chef Matt Gordonn as the company's VP of Operations, we can only assume that he is stearing the ship and has plans for reconceptualizing the prime location into a new restaurant.
El Roy's closure may have been precipated by a desire to focus attention on the opening of Little Frenchie, a casual French bistro unveiling tomorrow at 5pm in the 1,600 square-foot space that last housed Blue Bridge's West Pac Noodle Bar. Located at 1166 Orange Avenue in the heart of Coronado's main thoroughfare, Little Frenchie has a menu designed by Executive Chef Matt Sramek, who previously worked at Chef Thomas Keller's now-closed Bouchon in Beverly Hills. Expect a modernized riff on classic French dishes, including onion soup, cheese boards, steak frites, moules marinieres, short rib pot-au-feu and many others. The eatery will also offer an array of Belgian and French beers, ciders, annd a curated wine list.
Founded in Coronado in 1998, Blue Bridge Hospitality currently owns and operates Liberty Public Market, Maretalia Ristorante, Stake Chophouse & Bar, Leroy’s Kitchen + Lounge, Village Pizzeria, Lil’ Piggy’s Bar-B-Q, MooTime Creamery, Crafted Baked Goods, and Coronado Coffee Company. For more information, visit bluebridgehospitality.com.
