Seafood restaurant, Amazon coming to new building in downtown SLO

A popular Central Coast seafood restaurant and more offices for Amazon workers are coming to a new building in downtown San Luis Obispo.

Lure Fish House, which has locations in Santa Barbara, Camarillo, Ventura and Porter Ranch, will open its fifth restaurant and oyster bar at the newly completed three-story building at 1101 Monterey St., at the corner of Monterey and Santa Rosa.

The new fish eatery will hold forth on the ground floor, while Amazon will occupy the second and third floors of the same building, making this the third downtown SLO office for the online retailer.

The developments were confirmed by San Luis Obispo Economic Development Manager Lee Johnson, who noted that construction work outside is complete and tenant improvements are underway.

“Both these new tenants will be great additions to downtown,” Lee said.

Lure Fish House is, indeed, a nice catch for San Luis Obispo, which is home to surprisingly few full-service seafood restaurants for a coastal town, particularly one with a track record for great food.

Lure Fish House company spokesperson Emily Wilmeth said the new SLO location should open by fall of 2023.

The building’s frontage has room for 75 in street-side dining built-in along Monterey right across Santa Rosa from the county government building, now called the Katcho Achadjian Government Center.

A family-owned chain, which is headquartered in Camarillo and lists David Cortina as its chief executive officer, serves locally sourced seafood, wine and beer in an upmarket space with an oyster bar and a nautical theme. The restaurant’s new SLO space is about 5500 square feet.

How downtown building weathered pandemic

Construction of the 45-foot building was approved in 2017 and designed to feature retail, offices and a restaurant.

The developer, Nick Tompkins, originally wanted to build a larger 75-foot-tall project that was to include a hotel and some housing. It has taken some five years to permit, build and now lease out the space.

Besides Amazon and Lure Fish House there is also an office leased to GHD engineers.

Nick Tompkins’ company, NKT Commercial, had a bumpy ride with this project during the pandemic with construction actually completed as COVID-19 swept the nation.

In the ensuing year, the building was largely leased out to two tech firms who made substantial tenant improvements. But both decided not to move in, with one company moving to Southern California and the other deciding employees could successfully work from home. Tompkins had to start over to lease the space out.

As for the tenants, Tompkins said Lure Fish House should be a “great fit for Downtown,” adding both the food and family who run the small restaurant chain are ”top quality.”

As for Amazon, Tompkins said he couldn’t confirm the lease.

Still, the expected opening of the new Amazon office is common knowledge downtown, where the company has two other offices.

Johnson said it is his understanding that the two floors, some 20,000 square feet, will bring in new Amazon workers to downtown as opposed to relocating existing employees. Amazon’s website currently lists 36 jobs open in SLO.

John Lindt is the editor of the news website Sierra2theSea.net.

This story was originally published December 16, 2022 at 10:00 AM.