Two years ago, developers announced plans for a $120 million renovative construction project that would add 120,000 square feet of retail space at Carmel Valley’s Del Mar Highlands Town Center. The project, dubbed The Collection, involved relocation of a Jimbo’s market to serve as the foundation upon which to build a 25,000-square-foot “Sky Deck” to house 10 distinctly varied bar and restaurant concepts as well as a third-story overlook called the Brewer’s Deck. Three local beverage companies—Oceanside’s Northern Pine Brewing, Mira Mesa’s Rough Draft Brewing and Chula Vista hard-kombucha company Boochcraft—will be represented there. The pandemic kept the project from meeting its estimated completion timeframe of summer 2020, but after many months of building and preparation, the Brewer’s Deck is scheduled to open to the public on Friday, May 28.
All three brewing companies will be ready to receive customers and serve them over the Memorial Day weekend, but only a few of The Collection’s restaurants will be open for business. The goal is to hold an official grand-opening celebration for the entire project in mid-June once the state fully reopens per Governor Gavin Newsom’s estimate. It’s not the opening anybody envisioned when signing on to the project, but tenants are making the best of it and pleased to show off their new real estate, especially after the challenges of the past year.
“The most frustrating part of the past year was the constant openings and the closings. Every time we would be allowed to reopen our Oceanside brewery and construction would recommence in Del Mar, there would be a looming feeling that we would be shut down again soon, and we always were,” says Northern Pine co-founder Anne Ortega. “While construction was an essential business, we had to stop several times due to financial concerns. Trying to best plan when and where to put money so we wouldn’t overextend ourselves during a time when normal revenue was down was very difficult, but we made it through. The constant stress and decisions of the past year have paid off and we are very excited for the future, in general, and to open up our new spot.”
Northern Pine’s piece of the Brewer’s Deck will be equipped with a dozen taps pouring beers brewed at the company’s brewpub, with plans to add four more by year’s end. Northern Pine’s cold box is enclosed in glass and visible from the lower level. The Brewer’s Deck comes in at 2,700 square feet total and can seat up to 188 patrons, who may have food from the Sky Deck eateries delivered to enjoy from communal tables or the brewing companies’ trio of bars. Northern Pine designed its bar to evoke memories of a day at summer camp, with wood bar tops, rustic colors and bar stools modeled after fold-up camp chairs.
Though separated in the name of stopping the spread, Ortega says she and her husband maintained a high-level of contact with Rough Draft and Boochcraft as well as developers and the other Sky Deck tenants over the past year. It’s been a rewarding experience as being part of a thriving collective with various draws was what drew the Ortegas to the project in the first place.
“Whether patrons are just grabbing drinks, looking for an eclectic range of food or planning the perfect date night, the Sky Deck will be an ideal destination,” says Ortega. “Beyond the Sky Deck, Del Mar Highlands Town Center also has a Cinépolis movie theater, shopping, spas and new fitness centers, from rowing to cycling to a stretch lab. We love that customers can come grab a drink before a movie or treat themselves to lunch and beer after a workout. And working together with other breweries and restaurants with the same passion and goals creates an incredible experience for our customers.”
Once fully operational, the Sky Deck will be open seven days a week, with hours ranging for each of its tenant businesses. The current plan for the Brewer’s Deck is to be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays.
The Brewer’s Deck is located in Del Mar Highlands Town Center at 12925 El Camino Real in Carmel Valley