Rib Line owner opens new SLO wine bar — and a South County restaurant is on the way
When the coronavirus pandemic hit San Luis Obispo in the spring, The Rib Line barbecue restaurant closed its doors on Broad Street.
Now a new wine and beer bar with a rotating pop-up kitchen is taking its place.
The Switch opened for outdoor dining about two weeks ago at 2256 Broad St., Suite 110, in the plaza near the intersection of Broad of South Street in San Luis Obispo.
Owner Brian Appiano, who also owns Rib Line by the Beach in Grover Beach and Rib Line on Los Osos Valley Road in San Luis Obispo, said that The Switch offers a unique opportunity for prospective restaurant owners try out new ideas.
SLO wine bar features pop-up restaurants
The Switch’s pop-up kitchen will typically offer visiting chefs between three days and a couple of weeks to serve customers, Appiano said.
Appiano said those chefs might include food truck operators caterers, or private chefs looking to open up a new restaurant.
“The pop-up idea is pretty popular in the bigger cities, like in the Bay Area and L.A.,” Appiano said. “I think it will be a great way to try new things, including ethnic foods that I love that we don’t get a lot of here.”
Food offerings range from fish tacos to burgers to Nashville-style fried chicken.
Appiano said he’s hoping to attract a friend who’s a Filipino cook who could offer some of the most “delicious lumpias I’ve ever tasted” — spring rolls filled with meats and vegetables.
The Switch’s outdoor dining area is located in a section of the commercial plaza’s parking lot in keeping with current COVID-19 guidelines.
The business’s wine and beer bar features a wide variety of offerings including Central Coast products such as Liquid Gravity Brewing Co. beer..
Rib Line owner to open Pismo Beach pier eatery
Currently, The Switch is testing out cuisine options for a business that Appiano plans to open with his wife, Krystal: Sunsets at Pismo Beach. The food, beer and wine restaurant will be located in an Airstream trailer on the Pismo Beach Pier.
Working in partnership with the city of Pismo Beach, Appiano said he plans to open Sunsets at Pismo Beach within the next month.
“This has been in the planning for months,” Appiano said. “We plan to offer shrimp tacos, fish and chips, fillet mignon tacos and more. It will be a very efficient space usage.”
Appiano said he took over ownership of the Rib Line about 11 years ago, and it has been in existence in SLO for about 30 years.
The Rib Line’s Grover Beach and Los Osos Valley Road locations remain open for takeout and delivery.
This story was originally published September 8, 2020 at 1:06 PM with the headline "Rib Line owner opens new SLO wine bar — and a South County restaurant is on the way."
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