The compact street-facing unit, located just outside Petco Park’s gates on Seventh Avenue, had been home to City Tacos since 2020 before the Padres exercised a lease buyout earlier this year. As SanDiegoVille previously reported, the Padres purchased the lease rights to the space and opted not to renew City Tacos’ tenancy, ending the popular taqueria’s five-year run near the ballpark. At the time, City Tacos founder Gerry Torres confirmed that Delaware North had expressed interest in possibly bringing the brand inside Petco Park instead, leaving the exterior space open for redevelopment.
That redevelopment is now taking shape under Delaware North’s Patina Group, its premium lifestyle and hospitality division. The Diamond Room is being positioned as a polished cocktail bar and restaurant aimed squarely at pre-game crowds, date nights, and late-night downtown traffic, marking a notable shift from casual tacos to a more upscale, lounge-driven experience just steps from the stadium.
According to the project’s website, The Diamond Room will feature handcrafted cocktails, premium spirits, seafood towers, three-course seated dinners, and late-night bites, wrapped in moody lighting and a nightlife-forward atmosphere. The concept markets itself as less of a pit stop and more of a destination, with branding that emphasizes sharp drinks, music-forward energy, and a sleek, after-dark sensibility.
The move underscores the Padres’ broader strategy to tighten control over the food-and-beverage ecosystem in and around Petco Park. Delaware North has served as the Padres’ food service partner since 2004 and is currently operating under a long-term contract extension that runs through the 2036 season. In recent years, the company - often through Patina Group - has expanded its influence beyond standard ballpark concessions.
Within Petco Park itself, Patina Group has already played a growing role in reshaping the fan dining experience. The company oversees premium club dining, curated bar programs, and chef-driven offerings that go far beyond traditional ballpark fare. Recent seasons have seen Patina help introduce elevated menu items, craft cocktail programs, and partnerships with well-known local brands such as An’s Gelato, alongside specialty concepts tied to Michelin-starred and James Beard–recognized chefs, like Deckman's at Petco Park. Patina has also been involved in the continued evolution of Gallagher Square, helping integrate food, drink, and social spaces into the ballpark’s broader entertainment footprint.
Nationally, Patina Group has built a reputation for executing high-end hospitality in high-profile, high-volume environments. Its portfolio includes managing dining at cultural institutions like Lincoln Center’s Metropolitan Opera House, operating luxury restaurants in destinations such as the Empire State Building and Disney Parks, and delivering large-scale premium dining for major sporting events including the PGA Championship, Ryder Cup, and Formula 1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix. In those settings, Patina has rolled out restaurant-quality menus, full cocktail programs, and all-inclusive dining models serving tens of thousands of guests per day - often in temporary or stadium-adjacent environments similar in complexity to Petco Park.
For East Village, the change is symbolic. City Tacos’ removal sparked backlash from fans who viewed the buyout as another example of independent local businesses being displaced to make way for corporate-controlled concepts tied to the Padres’ expanding entertainment footprint. While The Diamond Room promises a more refined experience, it also represents a clear pivot toward curated, higher-end hospitality aligned with the team’s long-term vision for the area surrounding Petco Park.
As construction moves forward, The Diamond Room will join a growing list of Padres- and Delaware North-controlled venues reshaping the neighborhood’s pre- and post-game landscape. Whether it becomes a new East Village staple or another tightly managed extension of the ballpark experience remains to be seen, but its arrival marks the definitive end of City Tacos’ chapter at the doorstep of Petco Park - and the start of a far glossier replacement.
The Diamond Room is expected to unveil at 323 Seventh Avenue in San Diego's East Village just in time for the 2026 San Diego Padres season. For more information, visit diamondroomsd.com.
Originally published on December 24, 2025.
