Owned by Mario Guerra with partners Jimmy Maldonado and Jason Janececk, Corner Pizza launched in 2020 with a compact, counter-service shop in Leucadia that paired Brooklyn-leaning pies with oysters, salads, and a tight wine-and-beer list. The team has since added sites at Oceanside’s Mercantile 2 and near Bressi Ranch in Carlsbad, sticking to a simple playbook: walkable, beach-adjacent neighborhoods, fast service, and a menu that stays consistent from shop to shop.
The Encinitas address gives the brand prime frontage on one of San Diego County’s most trafficked dining corridors, a stretch that rewards small-format concepts with strong local followings. Expect the familiar mix of classics and signatures - think the honey-drizzled Killer Bee (mozzarella, gorgonzola, soppressata, pepperoni, rosemary, chili honey), the truffle-and-mushroom-forward Mushroom Queen topped with lemon-tossed arugula, the Sausage Fest, and the Margherita Burrata - alongside salads, simple shareables, and a curated tap-and-bottle list.
Guerra, whose North County portfolio includes Moto Deli, Hamburger Hut and Valentina, has built Corner Pizza around neighborhood rhythm rather than spectacle: order at the counter, grab a seat, and let the pies do the talking. The incoming Encinitas shop continues that approach while reclaiming a familiar Highway 101 footprint just a few blocks south of the original Leucadia location.
Corner Pizza is in development at 628 S Coast Highway 101 in San Diego's North County city of Encinitas. For more information, visit cornerpizza.com.
Originally published on October 16, 2025.
