What should replace Rama Thai restaurant in the Gaslamp? “Alex Thao announced earlier this month his decision to close two of his downtown Asian restaurants, Saja Korean Kitchen and Rama, and is completely transferring the management of Lucky Liu’s, a dim-sum eatery he opened in 2013. Rama, a Thai restaurant known for its stone waterfall … Continue reading Mike Spilky Quoted in San Diego Magazine’s Hot Blocks Column →

Avila’s El Ranchito now has 12 restaurants under its banner after opening a Seal Beach location in late August, though it lacks one thing: a headquarters. Each location is individually owned – most by the children of Salvador and Margarita Avila, who moved to Los Angeles in 1958 from Mexico and in 1966 opened the … Continue reading Location Matters’ Lease Deal, Avila’s El Ranchito, Opens 12th Location in Seal Beach →

The Flame — a landmark lesbian bar that opened in 1984, and then changed hands 20 years later — was sold this week to a Hillcrest developer. James Nicholas of Clownfish Partners, who bought the vacant property at 3780 Park Blvd. from seller Donny Duenas for $1.9 million, told San Diego Uptown News that he … Continue reading Park Boulevard Nightclub The Flame is Sold →

A fresh bar concept has the opportunity to get in on the ground floor. A gay hotspot for decades until it closed a few years ago, the landmark building at 3780 Park Boulevard that housed The Flame nightclub since the mid-80s has just been sold. Location Matters’ Mike Spilky represented both the seller and the … Continue reading The Flame Nightclub in Hillcrest Sells; New Bar/Lounge Space Available →