SAN DIEGO — On Monday, demolition crews worked to dismantle the old Pernicano’s building on Sixth Avenue in Hillcrest. It has long been considered an eyesore in the community.
“It’s huge. It’s the start of something,” said Benjamin Nichols, Executive Director of the Hillcrest Business Association. “This building has represented for many, many years stagnation and a derelict space, and now that it’s coming down, it’s going to be a beautiful new building in its place.”
The restaurant served its last meal in the ’80s and sat unoccupied for over three decades. According to newspaper reports, the 25,000 square foot property was sold in 2019 for $8.5 million dollars to Carmel Partners, a real estate investment and development company. They plan to build an eight-story condominium building on the property.
“My understanding is that it’ll have great views of the bay; great views of the Coronados. It’s gonna be gorgeous,” said Nichols. “You’re gonna get the whole downtown skyline.”
The property extends over to the Fifth Avenue side where a vacant storefront will eventually be transformed into new retail spaces. Locals are excited for the change.
“I think it’s good for the neighborhood. We can move forward,” said Rudolph Flores. “We’re trying to look at this old building which is just sitting there unoccupied and doing nothing.”
With new construction happening throughout the neighborhood, Nichols sees the Pernicano’s building demolition as something symbolic.
“I see it as the start of a renaissance for Hillcrest. You just have to walk around this part of town and you see the buildings popping up,” said Nichols. “When people see the Pernicano’s sign come down, they’re going to know that chapter in the neighborhood’s history is over and a new chapter is beginning.”
The demolition is bittersweet for the Pernicano family. Tina Pernicano Wurtz gave CBS 8 the following statement on Monday:
"Casa di Baffi (Home of the Handlebar Mustache) the classier part of the Pernicano’s Restaurant on 6th Ave. known for its famous Pork Chops now no longer stands. The mustache handles on the doors are gone. The walls are crumbled into piles covering where once used to be a banquet room for large parties and Charger memorabilia. An upstairs kitchen with a dumbwaiter that went down two levels. A basement bar with keg ramps that I am sure was a hot spot in its time. The red booths that lined the walls of The Gondola Room. The Gondola that was built to be a salad bar there now resides in my backyard for parties. The Pizza House where George and his brothers would toss the pizza dough in the air and black and white Laurel and Hardie films would play no longer resides.
It is a sad moment for our family to see what George/Grandpa built and put so his whole heart and soul into to now physically be torn down. His legacy will continue with his family, especially with his twin sons Larry and Gary. They have continued to carry on their father’s traditions in what is now 76th year of business serving San Diego homemade Italian food. Larry serves the Pork Chops plus a gourmet menu at his location in Scripps Poway Parkway and Gary continues to serve his father’s traditional menu as well as many delicious specialties at his location in El Cajon.
George opened the restaurant in 1946 bringing the first “pizza” to San Diego. Most people did not know what pizza was so he would stand in front of his restaurant and hand a free slice of “pizza pie” to anyone that would try. At one point the family had somewhere around 12 or 13 restaurants operating at the same time. The restaurant on 6th Ave served as a meeting place for so many over the decades. It was declared a hotspot in the 50s. George liked nothing more than seeing a full house and being able to visit with his customers and occasionally have a shot of Crown Royale with them. He was a family man but even more so he was “Mr. San Diego”, a restauranteur, the socialite, the Handlebar Mustache, always entertaining and having the best time putting smiles on others faces."
WATCH RELATED THROWBACK: 'Like an old graveyard' | Pernicano's Restaurant Hillcrest sits vacant in 2006