After more than two decades under the ownership of native Frenchman Bertand Hug, San Diego's iconic Mister A's restaurant is in the process of being sold in Bankers Hill.
Mister A's was founded in 1965 on the 12th floor of then-newly constructed Fifth Avenue Financial Center in San Diego's Bankers Hill by John "Mr. A" Alessio. Following Mr. Alessio’s passing, the restaurant was sold to experienced French restaurateur Bertrand Hug in 2000. At the time, Bertrand was making waves across the country for his French-inspired Mille Fleurs restaurant in San Diego's affluent North County community of Rancho Santa Fe. After taking ownership of Mister A's, Bertrand immediately began renovating the space and reopened in May 2000 with a joint birthday party for himself and Chargers' owner Dean Spanos, who shares his birthday. The restaurant eventually changed names to "Bertrand at Mister A's", but went back to Mister A's in 2015 in celebration of the establishment's 50th anniversary.
Longtime Mister A's manager Ryan Thorsen will take over ownership of the iconic San Diego restaurant on March 1, 2022. The 34-year-old Thorsen began his tenure at Mister A's in 2010 after answering a Craigslist ad for a floor manager position and has worked his way up to become the Director of Operations at both Mister A's and Mille Fleurs. Thorsen plans to renovate the Mister A's space with the help of local designer and restaurateur Mauricio Couturier, who is the owner of Wolfie's Carousel restaurant in Little Italy and previously owned Bang Bang in the Gaslamp and El Camino in Little Italy.
The plan is to begin renovations this summer in order to update the dining room to have a retro brasserie feel and maximize the utility of the expansive outdoor patio space. The banquet room on the east side of the restaurant will be raised up to the level of the main dining room and a new 18-seat bar will be added, along with addition indoor and outdoor seating. Longtime Executive Chef Stephane Voitzwinkler will continue his role running the kitchen and maintain an elevated French-inspired menu.
Mister A's is located at 2550 Fifth Avenue in San Diego's Bankers Hill community. For more information, visit asrestaurant.com.
Mister A's is located at 2550 Fifth Avenue in San Diego's Bankers Hill community. For more information, visit asrestaurant.com.
