Belmont Park is, above all, a seaside attraction, yet for many years, the Mission Beach landmark hasn’t exactly capitalized on its prime oceanfront location, where sunset-gazing and people-watching can be just as profitable as roller coaster rides and arcade games.
That all is changing as the operators prepare to complete by the end of the year a multimillion-dollar overhaul that will include multiple upgrades, new dining and recreation attractions, and long-overdue expanded restrooms.
While Belmont’s previous operator had grandiose plans for making over the aging park, they were abandoned in the wake of a bankruptcy that eventually led to new management of Belmont. The makeover is part of a calculated strategy to raise the park’s profile as a more family-friendly destination.
An expanded rooftop restaurant with a glassed-in sushi bar and glass elevator, a ground-floor brewery pub with prime boardwalk patio seating, a new community room with a rooftop observation deck and a 29-foot high zip line are among the high-profile additions that are scheduled to open by this summer. There’s even talk of a new oceanview workout area atop the Belmont Park athletic club.
“The park was turning its back to the water, and we’re really opening it up to that now,” said Brett Miller, CEO of the Pacific Beach hospitality firm Eat Drink Sleep, which is overseeing the food and beverage operations and is also partners in the overall development of the park. “It’s a beachfront amusement park and we want to showcase that to the best of our ability.”
Rancho Santa Fe-based Pacifica Enterprises, a real estate investment firm, in conjunction with Eat Drink Sleep, expect that its investments in the seven-acre park — since taking over in late-2012 — will total roughly $10 million by year’s end.
Diversifying offerings
Burgers, cotton candy and ice cream cones will remain a staple on Belmont Park’s midway, but Eat Drink Sleep says the operation is investing substantial sums to attract a wider demographic and a more sophisticated foodie who might otherwise not have considered paying a visit to the beach attraction.
“We are an amusement park and we’re attracting families who want to have a great time at a reasonable amount of money, but we’re trying to expand all of our offerings for a very diverse demographic of people by upping the quality of food and amusements,” Miller said. “When our South Mission Draft (restaurant) opens up, this will be a place that you’ll take your mom or your friends there. It’s not what’s been there in the past.”
Miller is projecting that food and beverage revenues alone this year will total $16 million, up from $10 million last year.
Belmont Park’s renaissance follows what had become an increasingly testy relationship between the city of San Diego and the former operator, Tom Lochtefeld. Late last year, the city settled a lawsuit filed by Lochtefeld, who was seeking $25 million from the city following a rent dispute that led him to file for bankruptcy. The of the settlement were not disclosed.
Over time, Lochtefeld, who was no longer paying rent, had amassed more than $17 million in debt as he spent millions of dollars on improvements, including $2.8 million on two wave machines.
With the changeover in management, the city of San Diego is banking on a more-robust operation given that lease revenues for the city-owned Belmont property are tied to a percentage of sales. The current lease, which is under negotiation, calls for the operators to pay the city 5 percent of all food, beverage, game and other park-related sales. Belmont’s various leaseholders, including Pacifica, paid the city roughly $650,000 in rent for the last full fiscal year, which ended June 30 of last year.
“Belmont Park is a huge asset for the city of San Diego,” said Jeff Sturak, deputy chief operating officer of internal operations “It’s a historical tourist destination in a popular beach area that generates significant tax revenue for the city. We’re currently negotiating a new lease for Belmont Park in the hopes of maximizing the potential of this prime piece of real estate.”
Dining out
Cannonball, a Pacific Rim-inspired restaurant overlooking the boardwalk and Pacific Ocean, opened last August but subsequently closed in December as part of a major expansion that will double the size of the restaurant to 6,000 square feet and include a sushi bar and Kobe beef grill. Previously only accessible by stairs, the restaurant will now have a glass-enclosed elevator that will deliver diners to the rooftop eatery.
Below, the long-vacant ground-floor space is being transformed into South Mission Draft that will showcase a selection of 70 craft beers on draft and 100 bottled beer selections and will serve American pub fare. The 275-seat restaurant will have an industrial feel with exposed metal beams and polished concrete floors, but a big attraction will be a huge walk-in glass cooler stocked with 120 beer kegs and bottled beer.
Taking advantage of its location just off the boardwalk, the restaurant, unlike its earlier incarnation, will have large roll-up glass doors fronting the ocean and outdoor seating that will run for 130 feet.
Cannonball and Draft, expected to open next month, will replace the former SoundWave and Canes Bar and Grill, which have been closed for some time. Another boardwalk area eatery will be Burger Shack, a small walk-up venue for ordering to-go food.
Amusements
Zip lines are few and far between in San Diego County, which may explain why one is coming to Belmont Park. The new attraction, which will top out at 29 feet high and span roughly 400 feet, will be located on the east side of the Plunge building. It is among several new entertainment attractions operated by Mission Beach Attractions, which oversees the arcade-style games and rides. In addition to a rock wall and miniature golf course that were added last year, there will be several more interactive arcade games that will expand the offerings by about 50 percent, said Steve Smith, vice president of operations for Eat Drink Sleep.
The main arcade area has been remodeled in the style of a classic boardwalk, and a Tron-like, futuristic-themed laser tag arena, replacing the former laser tag game, is scheduled to open in a month. Both of the WaveHouse’s signature wave machines have been refurbished, and Smith hinted that there may be more improvements to the simulated surfing experience coming this year.
Fitness
The historic Plunge pool, which has been in need of renovations for some time, is finally undergoing structural work. The 1920s-era indoor pool has been closed for about a month as workers address rusting and corrosion on the building’s steel frame, which will be coated with a special epoxy paint. The work could be completed by June or July, according to Dan Hayden, Pacifica’s director of engineering.
Meanwhile, planned improvements to the athletic club are in the design phase. Pacifica is looking at new equipment and installing a storefront fresh juice bar. Also under consideration is a rooftop workout area.
Community
Until recently, management offices were in a rooftop location overlooking the crashing waves. The former ground-floor community room, required under the Belmont Park lease, is being relocated to its new rooftop home, which will also include an expansive observation deck. Enclosed on three sides with glass windows, the new space, which will be used by groups like the Mission Beach Town Council, will be triple the size of its former location.
Restrooms, notorious for achingly long lines during summertime, have been relocated and will quadruple the capacity.
Within the park, concrete surfaces are being refurbished, and the landscaping and lighting in the parking area are being upgraded.
