San Diego restaurateurs Jeff Motch and Clea Hantman to revitalize Village Grill in Balboa Park

San Diego restaurateurs Jeff Motch and Clea Hantman to revitalize Village Grill in Balboa Park

California Tower in Balboa Park. (Photo by Chris Stone/Times of San Diego) San Diego’s renowned restaurateurs, Jeff Motch and Clea Hantman, have been selected by the city to breathe new life into the former Village Grill site in Balboa Park. Known for their ventures, Panama 66 in the San Diego Museum of Art and Blind Lady Ale House in Normal Heights, the duo is now taking on the new project. In October, the city issued a Request for Proposals to…

City selects new operator for long-closed Village Grill eatery in Balboa Park

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The owners behind one of the most popular restaurants in Balboa Park and a storied neighborhood brew pub in Normal Heights have been tapped by the city to revive the park's shuttered fast dining option, the Village Grill. Jeff Motch and Clea Hantman, co-owners of Panama 66 in the San Diego Museum of Art and Blind Lady Ale House in Normal Heights, were announced Friday as the bidder selected to bring the window near the S…

Panama 66 partners to revitalize Balboa Park’s former Village Grill

The former Village Grill, a walk-up dining establishment that closed in Balboa Park in 2017, will soon come back to life under new management. San Diego restaurateurs Jeff Motch and Clea Hantman, who co-own Panama 66 in Balboa Park and Blind Lady Ale House in Normal Heights, have been selected by the city of San Diego to renovate the quick-service restaurant location between the Casa del Prado Theatre and Spanish Village Art Center. The news was…

Restaurateurs behind Panama 66 tapped to revitalize Balboa Park's Village Grill

Jeff Motch and Clea Hantman, owners of Panama 66 and Blind Lady Ale House, were selected by the city on Friday as the restaurateurs to revitalize the former Village Grill in Balboa Park. In October 2024, San Diego issued a request for proposals for the renovation, operation and lease of the restaurant site near the Spanish Village Art Center. Motch and Hantman’s proposal was a fast-casual restaurant concept, which presented an operating plan and…

City of San Diego taps restaurateurs to revitalize Balboa Park’s former Village Grill

The City of San Diego has selected San Diego restaurateurs Jeff Motch and Clea Hantman to bring new life to the former Village Grill in Balboa Park. Motch and Hantman currently co-own Panama 66 in Balboa Park’s San Diego Museum of Art and Blind Lady Ale House in Normal Heights. In October 2024, the City issued a Request for Proposals for the renovation, operation and lease of the restaurant site near the Spanish Village Art Center. Through this …

Panama 66 owners to open second Balboa Park venue - San Diego Beer News®

The owner of Panama 66 and BLAH Brewing collaborates with local breweries to create limited-edition summer beers celebrating local landmark.