North County New Business News: Pat & Oscar We Hardly Knew Ye

About 20 years ago the 1st Oscar's restaurant opened in San Diego and quickly expanded. The food consisted of the world's best breadsticks, chicken, pizza, etc. And heaping portions of it. In 2000 the Sizzler chain got wind of Oscar's and purchased the chain. During the expansion, Sizzler changed the name to Pat & Oscar's for reason's unknown and peaked around 18 locations. After faltering under Sizzler's control, the management team bought out the stores and the 11 remaining franchises changed the name to O's American Kitchen around 2011. So where am I going with this? Well there used to be a Pat and Oscar's in the Costco parking lot in Carlsbad in the corner of Armada Drive and Palomar Airport Road. I used to take the family there all the time- either after a LEGOLAND visit or a Costco trip. The location has been vacant for a couple years even though it was in a prime location- visible from Palomar Airport Road and next to Costco and the Costco gas station. Basically if Pat & Oscar's couldn't make it there, nothing could.

Now 2013 comes along and the building as well as surrounding parking lot is being developed into 'Palomar Place'. The original Pat & Oscars location was about 6,000 square feet and a new building has been built next door effectively adding another 10,000 square feet of retail in the location for a total of 16,000.

There's a sign at the location showing 7 retail businesses available. From what I gather there's going to be a bundt cake store, nail salon, and Supercuts. I'll take Supercuts and the bundt cake store- you can have the nail salon. That leaves 4 more stores going in. There's one location on the map that looks to be about twice the size of the other tenants. I'm assuming that will anchor the center and most likely will be food related. I'm hoping for Mexican.

With the new Lowes going in and the Pizza Port running at full steam, there's plenty of new business going on Palomar Airport Road.