After Nearly 50 Years In Business, San Diego Breakfast-Destination The Menu To Shutter On August 14

August 8, 2022

After nearly 50 years in business, San Diego breakfast destination The Menu will shutter on August 14 and will be replaced by a new location of Japanese ramen restaurant Tajima.Ìý

The Menu has been a fixture in the Crown Point neighborhood of Pacific Beach since 1976. Known for its inexpensive yet hearty breakfast dishes, the restaurant has been owned and operated by it's 4th owner, David Russel, since 2006. Prior to that, The Menu was owned by Corrylyn & Michael Kelly and Carla Markowski before that. The original owner was a man with the last name Hooks.

"It’s with heavy hearts to share that we’ll be closing our doors," read a social media post announcing The Menu's impending closure. "Sunday, August 14 will be our last day. Thank you for 17 great years! It's been a great ride and we wouldn’t change a single thing. We've made lifelong friends, created great memories with our amazing team, served up a million hearty meals and cured many hangovers along the way. We hope you'll stop by to say hello, and not good-bye, before we wrap things up!" ÌýÌý

The building at 3784 Ingraham Street in Crown Point has been listed for sale for awhile now, but there is no word what precipitated The Menu's decision to permanently closed. A new breakfast place called The Hen House just recently opened directly across the street, so this may have been a catalyst for The Menu's closure. The 1,990 square-foot space that housed The Menu will be taken over byÌýIsamu "Sam" Morikizono, the founder of San Diego's Tajima Japanese restaurants. There is no word on whether Morkizono purchased the building or is leasing the space.Ìý

Well before San Diego became inundated with ramen eateries, Isamu Morikizono was a pioneer with the opening of his first Tajima location in Kearny Mesa in 2001. Now, Tajima boasts six San Diego branches and another outpost in Tijuana.ÌýIn addition to an location set to open later this year within Westfield Plaza Bonita mall in National City, Tajima will open a new branch in the longtime The Menu space. Like other outpostsw, the Crown Point Tajima is expected to serve a menu centered around a variety of ramen noodle soups, Japanese appetizers and rice bowls, as well as a beers on tap, wine and sake.