Mr Tempo Cantina, The Roxbury Nightclub, Cielo Rooftop Lounge, and Cowboy Cantina are all now dry because they share a single liquor license covering the entire Theatre Box building—meaning when the license is suspended, every attached venue goes down with it. This week, Mr. Tempo Cantina announced on Instagram that it is “temporarily unable to serve alcoholic beverages due to external factors beyond our control,” assuring guests that food and non-alcoholic drinks will continue to be offered and stressing that its Little Italy sister spot, King & Queen Cantina, remains unaffected.
The post quickly drew dozens of comments, including one follower asserting that the liquor license had been suspended and describing the issue as “internal,” while another suggested the situation can arise “when businesses with an alcohol license sell to ppl under 21.” State records appear to back up claims that the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control is involved. Some industry chatter suggests the suspension may be connected to the fatal shooting that occurred in the building in August, but this has not been confirmed, and SanDiegoVille has reached out to ABC for clarification.
ABC’s disciplinary history for the license shows two prior enforcement actions. One cites Business & Professions Code 25658(a) - prohibiting the sale of alcohol to anyone under 21 - and was resolved with a $3,000 fine. Another, involving California Code of Regulations Rule 64.2(b)(1), resulted in a 10-day suspension that was fully stayed so long as no further violations occurred. ABC has not yet provided a public explanation for the new indefinite suspension and has not responded with more information to our request for comment.
Some customer complaints have echoed concerns reflected in past citations. A recent one-star Yelp review alleged “SOO many violations” and “possible underage drinking,” claiming “a lot of young girls were there you can tell the differences in ages.” These allegations have not been substantiated by regulators, but they resemble conduct covered by past enforcement.
The alcohol shutdown arrives on top of a rough year of health inspections. County Environmental Health records show the Gaslamp property has been repeatedly ordered closed in 2025, most often for major vermin issues. In late February, inspectors shut the restaurant for major vermin violations and unsanitary floors, walls and ceilings. In late September, the county again ordered the site closed for “Vermin – Major.” On October 22, Mr Tempo Cantina appeared on the weekly closure list with no specific violations posted, followed by yet another shutdown on November 5 explicitly citing major vermin problems. In several of those weeks, the property stood out as one of only a handful of Gaslamp venues forced to temporarily close.
The alcohol shutdown arrives on top of a rough year of health inspections. County Environmental Health records show the Gaslamp property has been repeatedly ordered closed in 2025, most often for major vermin issues. In late February, inspectors shut the restaurant for major vermin violations and unsanitary floors, walls and ceilings. In late September, the county again ordered the site closed for “Vermin – Major.” On October 22, Mr Tempo Cantina appeared on the weekly closure list with no specific violations posted, followed by yet another shutdown on November 5 explicitly citing major vermin problems. In several of those weeks, the property stood out as one of only a handful of Gaslamp venues forced to temporarily close.
The broader Mr Tempo empire has already drawn attention from state regulators. In 2023, Little Italy’s King & Queen Cantina, another concept tied to restaurateur Jorge “Mr. Tempo” Cueva, served a 25-day liquor license suspension after ABC found repeated violations related to excessive noise and loud music following neighborhood complaints. At the time, the bar publicly framed its closure as a remodeling period, but ABC confirmed it was the second disciplinary action on that license for the same issue.
The troubled recent history of the Theatre Box property adds even more context to the unfolding situation. The 73,000-square-foot venue at Fifth Avenue and G Street originally opened in December 2018 as a luxury cinema and entertainment destination under the team behind Los Angeles’ famed TCL Chinese Theatre. Backed by Elie Samaha, Alwyn Hight Kushner, and Sugar Factory founder Charissa Davidovici, Theatre Box debuted with celebrity fanfare, including appearances from Pitbull and Nick Cannon.
But the project struggled almost immediately. Over the next four years, every major concept inside the building shuttered - Sugar Factory, Nick Cannon's Wild’N Out Sports Bar, and the Nick Jonas and John Varvatos-backed Villa One Tequila Garden - before the entire cinema venue permanently closed in January 2023. Ownership, including Elie Samaha, later partnered with Jorge “Mr. Tempo” Cueva to redevelop the property, expanding Mr Tempo Cantina and planning multiple new restaurant and nightlife concepts. Despite ambitions to turn the building into a flagship nightlife hub, the property has instead become associated with repeated health closures, regulatory issues, and public-safety incidents.
Just this past summer, the Theatre Box property was the site of a serious criminal incident. On August 3, 2025, a man was shot and killed inside Cielo Rooftop Lounge, a third-floor venue located within the same building as Mr. Tempo and believed to be the same ownership and liquor license. Police say a dispute between two men escalated into gunfire, leaving a 46-year-old victim dead in a hallway. Bystanders detained the suspected shooter until officers arrived and recovered the handgun reportedly taken from him. The homicide remains under investigation, and—although unconfirmed—some believe it may have triggered closer scrutiny of the property’s operations.
For now, the restaurants inside Theatre Box remain open for food service only. Mr. Tempo Cantina has told customers it is “committed to providing you with the best dining experience despite this temporary limitation” but has not commented publicly on the suspension, the past health inspections, or whether underage drinking allegations played any role. SanDiegoVille has reached out to ownership and the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control for additional information and will update as more details become available.
Mr Tempo Cantina is located at 701 Fifth Avenue in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter. For more information, follow @mr.tempo.cantina.gaslamp on Instagram.
Originally published on November 15, 2025.
