The revived A Little Moore Cafe was recently granted a liquor license to serve beer and wine by the Encinitas Planning Commission.
Open since February, the cafe on the corner of Highway 101 and Daphne Street currently serves breakfast and lunch, classic American favorites with a twist like a French toast sandwich called The French OG, banana walnut pancakes, loaded breakfast burritos, burgers and sandwiches. Up until this point, the cafe has been pouring creative mocktails, coffee from local roaster Caffeine & Green and craft sodas.
The new liquor license starts at 7 a.m. for breakfast beverages like mimosas and ends at 11 p.m. indoors and 10 p.m. on the outdoor patio. In their April 7 deliberations, the commission said the use was comparable to other businesses that hold liquor licenses in the area and the hours were consistent with nearby MRKTSpace, which is currently closed for a remodel.
The longtime mom and pop eatery A Little Moore Cafe had been on the corner of Diana Street and the 101 for 45 years. In its later years it was family-owned by Chang Han and his wife Misan. After the building was selected as one of the city’s four cannabis dispensaries, the landlord chose not to renew the lease and it closed in March 2023.
Jennifer Winter, one of the owners, told the commission it was important to the ownership group to save and preserve the cafe.
“A Little Moore Cafe is really personal to me, I grew up here,” Winter said. “It’s a piece of history.”
Winter said the newly granted liquor license will help the cafe stay in business, expanding hours and allowing guests to enjoy a drink, responsibly: “We don’t want to cause any commotion, we love this city, we want it to stay cute and feel like home,” said Winter.
The hope is to soon add dinner service, a beer and wine selection, and handcrafted alternative wine-based cocktails.
“We don’t have Keno’s anymore…I really want to hold onto this,” Winter said. “This will make it possible for us to stay viable.”
Commissioner William Brent Whitteker said Winter’s comments “pulled at his heartstrings” and while he had some concerns about the early hour of liquor service, nothing raised it to level of objecting or creating further guidelines.
A Citizens Participation Plan meeting for the liquor license was held on March 19 and five neighbors attended, including one in opposition due to concerns about late night noise. Residents also shared concerns about the limited parking and illegal parking in the red zone. The owners’ response was to encourage customers to park along the railroad tracks and to be mindful of noise when arriving or departing.
A lot of local lore is packed into the new A Little Moore. New owners Deon Dickey and Andy Vasquez first met as kids at Paul Ecke Central and bought the cafe shortly after the closure with the goal to bring back the favorite. They held weekend pop-up breakfasts in 2023 at The Leucadian before securing the Shatto building spot.
The original Shatto building was constructed in the 1910s and was lost to a devastating fire in 2019. James Shatto, who used to run his t-shirt business in the building he has owned since 1979, was able to rebuild, reopening the bright white building with an ocean mural on the side two years ago.
Leucadia Barbershop, A Little Moore’s original neighbor for about 30 years, now holds the corner spot. Peace Pies, the vegan eatery that was in the original Shatto building for over a decade, has taken up residence in the back.
The cafe up front has an old-school diner vibe with a modern twist. The space features booths, tables and countertop service with stools, a separate bar area and a roll-up door that opens up to the 101 and the outside patio. The old white and green A Little Moore Cafe signs are up on the wall, along with old menus and photos of vintage Leucadia.
In her comments at the April 7 meeting, Vice Chair Chris Ryan said she used to be a regular at A Little Moore’s old spot, walking to have breakfast with her family. “It really does mean a lot to me that you’re able to bring the restaurant back to Leucadia.”
Commissioner Robert Prendergast agreed, noting that with the barbershop next door it’s as if they are truly going back the good old days: “It’s nice to bring back some of the flavor.”
Visit A Little Moore at 698 N. Coast Highway 101, open Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Friday through Sunday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
