In the current dining landscape, San Diego restaurants face challenges like the rising cost of goods, labor shortages, and evolving customer expectations. Everything from longtime city institutions to newer places unable to find their footing can succumb to a combination of obstacles, although San Diego restaurateurs and chefs remain resilient — just check out Eater’s hot new restaurants map for proof. This column keeps track of all the closures you may have missed.
San Diego, CA
San Diego massage parlour shuts down after prostitution probe, locals say ‘sex noises’ disrupted church services
Four people were arrested following an investigation into alleged “illicit sexual activities” at Ocean Spa Massage Parlour in Kearny Mesa, San Diego authorities said.
After receiving multiple complaints from nearby businesses and locals about the Ocean Spa Massage Parlour, police said they launched an investigation into the matter. Police received complaints about everything from “sexual noises” disrupting a church service to people seeing individuals engaging in sexual activity in cars. CBS8 reported that a youth Bible study group was previously situated next to the parlour.
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Police investigate Ocean Spa Massage Parlour
Last year, police spent over 125 hours probing the massage parlour, which led to instances where undercover officers were offered sex at least four times. Police also discovered around 1,270 online advertisements for sex at the parlour.
While the city pursued legal action to shut down the parlour, police held four people for prostitution.
The City Attorney’s Office is imposing more than $100,000 in civil penalties as well as reimbursement for legal fees and costs associated with law enforcement.
“The owners of Ocean Spa have been masquerading as a legitimate business for far too long,” City Attorney Mara Elliott stated in the press release. “Ocean Spa is a sex shop – not a massage parlour – and it has no place in our community or anywhere else. We look forward to holding these perpetrators accountable and to restoring peace in this complex.”
Also Read: Former Donald Trump aide, Walt Nauta accused of sexual misconduct
Although prostitution and massage parlours promoting sex have “always been pretty common,” a local San Diego business owner who talked to Fox News Digital under the condition of anonymity said that SB 357 emboldened pimps and prostitutes. The proprietor of the business is roughly 20 minutes away from the massage parlour, where sex workers in skimpy attire blatantly stroll the streets in search of men.
“It’s always been pretty common with massage parlours to offer more than massages,” said the business owner, “but with [SB] 357 the whole industry is emboldened because they know nothing will happen.”
Prostitution surges in San Diego
Prostitution has long been a problem in San Diego and the surrounding areas, but some residents claim the situation has gotten worse when a rule was repealed in 2022 that made it illegal to loiter with the intention of engaging in prostitution.
“While I agree with the author’s intent, and I am signing this legislation, we must be cautious about its implementation,” Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said when he signed the law.
“My administration will monitor crime and prosecution trends for any possible unintended consequences and will act to mitigate any such impacts.”
Numerous reports of prostitutes walking the streets in skimpy attire during the day have been reported in other parts of California. For example, in Oakland last year, pimps were allegedly stationing prostitutes outside a Catholic elementary school. In the Mission District of San Francisco, a road was lined with pimps and prostitutes during the winter.
Del Mar— Cucina Enoteca closed its doors in mid-March after nearly 12 years in the Flower Hill Promenade. In a statement shared with Eater, Urban Kitchen Group owner Tracy Borkum attributed the closure to “substantially increased property taxes.” The hospitality group’s other restaurants, including Cucina Urbana, Artifact and Craft Café at Mingei Museum, The Kitchen at MCASD, Gold Finch, and Morena Provisions, remain open while Cucina Enoteca searches for a new location in North County.
Carmel Valley— Taiwanese shaved ice dessert shop Icekimo shuttered its location in the Del Mar Highlands Town Center. “It was a great location, but the operating expenses were too high. Such a tough time for many businesses,” says owner Robert Yang. Icekimo also shuttered its Eastlake outpost. The flagship location in the Convoy District remains open. In April, a new Icekimo food truck will be available for booking via Instagram.
Kearny Mesa— Sizzling House and Noodles closed its doors after being open for just two years in the Convoy District. One of the first restaurants to open in Plaza del Sol, which was damaged in a 2020 fire, the Asian restaurant served seared marinated proteins on hot platters. Mr. Lin, the restaurant’s owner, tells Eater he sold the business to Urban Matcha, a tea shop that’s expanding from Las Vegas. While he still owns Tasty Pot in Mira Mesa, he hasn’t decided if he’ll open another restaurant. “We’re going to wait to see what the economy does,” Lin says.
North Park— After operating for more than three years at a corner spot in North Park, Patisserie Melanie has closed its doors, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. At the bakery, owner and Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef Melanie Dunn served croissants, kouign-amann, and quiches that she learned to make in Paris while transitioning from a career as a high school teacher to pastry chef.
Sorrento Valley— Decade-old Chinese restaurant Ma-Dasao closed its doors and rebranded as Shanghai Cuisine; the restaurant’s ownership remains unchanged. Shanghai Cuisine offers all-you-can-eat deals and weekday lunch combos, along with dim sum, in a cafeteria-style setting. Select dishes from the previous Ma-Dasao menu, such as Taiwanese beef noodle soup, are also available.
University Town Center— Rick Bayless’s Mexican restaurant, Red O’s, chose not to renew its lease in the complex across the street from Westfield UTC Mall, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. The other three Red O outposts in Newport Beach, Westlake Village, and Santa Monica remain open. Plans to tear down the buildings to create new apartment complexes are expected to begin this spring.
Oceanside— After 18 years of serving morning buns, bear claws, and sweet and savory croissants in Oceanside, Petite Madeleine closed its doors on March 15. The bakery announced its closure with a statement shared on Instagram.
Gaslamp Quarter— San Diego Dining Group steakhouse Butcher’s Cut shuttered its doors in January after nearly six years. Romanissimo, operated by the same hospitality group as Butcher’s Cut, took over the space. The Roman trattoria first opened in early 2025 at a neighboring Gaslamp Quarter location with a menu of pastas made in-house, burrata caprese, and bone-in rib-eye.
East County News Service
April 29, 2026 (San Diego County) — The U.S. Postal Service will carry more than just mail Saturday, May 9 during the 34th annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.
Recognized as the largest single-day food collection effort in the United States, the event mobilizes the National Association of Letter Carriers and the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank in replenishing local food pantry shelves before summer.
The drive comes at a pivotal moment for the region.
As the school year draws to a close, many children lose access to the daily free or reduced-price meal programs offered by school districts. The summer gap, combined with the sustained pressure of high local living costs, has kept the demand for food assistance at near-record levels.
Last year, the community’s response was massive, with residents donating nearly 127,000 pounds of food along local mail routes.
The logistics of the drive are designed for maximum convenience. To donate, San Diego County residents are asked to place a sturdy bag containing non-perishable food items next to their mailbox before their letter carrier arrives on Saturday.
Letter carriers will collect these donations and take them to local hubs where volunteers and Food Bank staff will sort the haul. The food is then moved to the Food Bank’s primary warehouse in the Miramar area before being distributed to more than 450 nonprofit partners. (Partners including soup kitchens, shelters, and faith-based pantries across the county.)
The Food Bank and more
The San Diego Food Bank has been a fixture of the community since 1977, growing from a small grassroots operation into the county’s primary hunger-relief engine. While the organization rescues millions of pounds of fresh produce and retail leftovers annually, the Stamp Out Hunger drive provides shelf-stable items essential for long-term food security.
Organizers have identified several “most-needed” items that provide the highest nutritional value for families in crisis. These include canned meats and fish, such as tuna and chicken; canned vegetables and fruits; and canned soups, and stews. High-demand pantry staples like oatmeal, boxes of cereal, rice and jars of peanut butter are also high on the priority list.
While the letter carriers handle the heavy lifting on the routes, a massive volunteer effort will be underway at several key processing locations across the city. Between 3 and 6 p.m., teams will be stationed at the Encanto, Grantville and Scripps Ranch post offices, as well as the Food Bank’s main Miramar Warehouse, to manage the influx of goods.
For the NALC, this drive represents a decades-long commitment to the communities they walk every day. By leveraging the existing infrastructure of the postal service, the drive reaches neighborhoods that might otherwise be disconnected from traditional donation centers.
For more information, visit sandiegofoodbank.org/stamp-out-hunger.
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A man who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting another man in Hillcrest was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in state prison.
Michael William Howard, 41, must also register as a sex offender for the July 13 attack.
At the time of his arrest, the San Diego Police Department said its special events team on duty in Balboa Park during last year’s San Diego Pride Festival spotted Howard walking in the area and took him into custody.
Police said he “matched the description of a wanted violent sexual predator who had been targeting the LGBTQ+ community” and “was wanted in connection with multiple cases involving the sexual assault of men in the Hillcrest area.”
However, the crime Howard pleaded guilty to pertains to one victim, and court records do not indicate he is facing any other criminal cases in San Diego County.
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