Fleurette arrives with unusually swift momentum for a project of its scale. Callie - Swikard’s blockbuster Mediterranean restaurant - was announced years before it opened and weathered construction delays, shifting timelines, and a pandemic before finally launching in 2021. Fleurette, by contrast, moved from early teasers to an opening date with surprising speed, particularly for a 6,000-square-foot, ground-up restaurant outfitted with custom French equipment, extensive design elements, and a footprint intended to host large events.
The new restaurant occupies a modern standalone structure inside the La Jolla Commons office park across from Westfield UTC mall, placing it in one of the region’s densest daytime population centers. For Swikard, the location represents a dramatic shift from Callie’s home in East Village - a neighborhood known for its tough operating conditions, inconsistent foot traffic, and high turnover. If Callie could flourish and become one of San Diego’s most celebrated restaurants in one of the city’s most challenging districts, Fleurette’s prospects in the stable, high-spending UTC corridor appear even stronger.
Fleurette is positioned as a tribute to the lighter, sun-driven cuisine of coastal Southern France. Unlike the butter-heavy style associated with northern French classics, the food here is expected to lean toward seasonal vegetables, seafood, broths, olive-oil-based sauces, and Provençal influences. Swikard has hinted that the restaurant will emphasize San Diego produce, drawing parallels between the ingredients of the Cote d’Azur and the region’s own agricultural landscape. While he has not yet released the menu, he has indicated that Fleurette will offer both à la carte options and a structured tasting menu with a progressive format.
The building itself is designed to function as both a restaurant and an event venue. It includes soaring 24-foot glass walls, indoor and outdoor dining spaces, wine rooms capable of holding thousands of bottles, and what is likely one of the largest restaurant kitchens in San Diego - anchored by a custom French Athanor stove. A back patio will feature a garden with citrus trees and herbs intended for the kitchen, adding a hyperlocal touch to the restaurant’s Southern French ethos.
Swikard is opening Fleurette with a sizable leadership team, some of whom are moving over from Callie and others joining from notable fine-dining properties. The restaurant will begin with dinner service only, operating Tuesday through Sunday, with lunch expected to follow next year.
Fleurette represents a significant next step in Swikard’s expanding culinary presence in San Diego. With Callie continuing to draw national attention from food media and visiting diners, his second restaurant enters the market with high expectations - but also with every structural advantage that Callie never had. From the accessibility of UTC to steady office-park foot traffic to proximity to a major regional mall, Fleurette launches from a position of strength. If Swikard could grow Callie into a Michelin-recognized success story in East Village, there is little reason to doubt Fleurette’s ability to thrive in University City.
Fleurette opens December 10 at 4727 Executive Drive in San Diego's UTC area. For more information, visit fleurettesd.com.
Swikard is opening Fleurette with a sizable leadership team, some of whom are moving over from Callie and others joining from notable fine-dining properties. The restaurant will begin with dinner service only, operating Tuesday through Sunday, with lunch expected to follow next year.
Fleurette represents a significant next step in Swikard’s expanding culinary presence in San Diego. With Callie continuing to draw national attention from food media and visiting diners, his second restaurant enters the market with high expectations - but also with every structural advantage that Callie never had. From the accessibility of UTC to steady office-park foot traffic to proximity to a major regional mall, Fleurette launches from a position of strength. If Swikard could grow Callie into a Michelin-recognized success story in East Village, there is little reason to doubt Fleurette’s ability to thrive in University City.
Fleurette opens December 10 at 4727 Executive Drive in San Diego's UTC area. For more information, visit fleurettesd.com.
Originally published on November 19, 2025.
