Huge new Nautical Bean opens in SLO — it’s like 4 coffeehouses in 1

A second Nautical Bean location opened in San Luis Obispo on Monday, and owner Brett Jones is thrilled with the finished product — even if it came a few months later than expected.

The new coffeehouse and bistro at 2010 Parker St. near Harbor Freight Tools was initially projected to open in the fall, but a few hiccups along the way pushed back the opening date, Jones said.

He remained optimistic as 14 months passed since first taking over the lease.

“That’s just what you’ve got to do if you’re going to be in business and you’re going to be an entrepreneur in this town,” Jones said. “This is the process you have to go through.”

The new location is more than 2,700 square feet, a significantly larger space than the original Nautical Bean (960 square feet), which Jones has owned since 2002 in the Laguna Lake Shopping Center.

It seats 94 people comfortably, Jones said, with an occupancy of 140. It’s divided into a variety of unique seating areas, including booths, a bar, bistro tables and sofas.

Jones said he hired 11 people to work at the new location, while blending in more experienced employees from the original shop to maintain a high quality of service. The new space mimics the original aesthetically, with a wide variety of pop-culture-driven decor.

“I put every piece of art up myself,” Jones said.

This isn’t Jones’ first crack at expansion.

Nautical Bean briefly opened a downtown location in 2011 but closed after eight months. Though Jones declined to discuss any financial particulars on his latest expansion, he said the company has been thriving and he feels confident about opening another shop.

The second Nautical Bean will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

The food and drink menu will remain largely the same, Jones said, with Nutty Bean drip coffee and breakfast burritos among the local favorites. He also plans to serve beer and wine in the near future.

Multiple people already have expressed interest in hosting events at the new location, Jones said, and he hopes to attract the large college student population in San Luis Obispo.

“This weekend’s going to be interesting,” Jones said. “We usually get pretty packed at the other shop. Line out the door. This is a big neighborhood area, so it’s going to be interesting to see how it takes off.”

This story was originally published February 15, 2018 at 12:15 PM with the headline "Huge new Nautical Bean opens in SLO — it’s like 4 coffeehouses in 1."