Johan Engman, a Swedish native, first entered San Diego’s breakfast scene in 2008 with the opening of Fig Tree Café in Pacific Beach. Over the years, his Rise & Shine group grew quickly, with its most notable success being Breakfast Republic, which first opened in North Park in 2015 and has since expanded to nearly 20 locations around Southern California.
However, this rapid growth has not come without setbacks. Earlier this year, the group closed its Breakfast Republic location in Carmel Valley's The Village at Pacific Highlands Ranch. The Pacific Beach Breakfast Republic was also temporarily shut down this month due to multiple health violations, including a "major" vermin issue.
Engman's other ventures have faced similarly mixed outcomes. His Breakfast Company concept debuted in North Park in 2019 but closed its flagship location within a year, though other branches like Gaslamp Breakfast Company and Mission Valley Breakfast Company remain operational. The group has also seen a closures of Fig Tree Café locations, including a Hillcrest branch that permanently shuttered in earlier years.
This month, the East Village Fig Tree Café was closed, with plans to rebrand the space as 6th & G, a new brunch-style concept closely resembling Breakfast Republic and Breakfast Company. Despite these changes, Fig Tree Café continues to operate in Mission Valley, Liberty Station, and its original Pacific Beach location.
6th & G is expected to open at some point in 2025 at 695 Sixth Avenue in San Diego's East Village. For more information, visit riseandshinerg.com.
Originally published on November 26, 2024.
