Theater box in downtown San Diego to close permanently after less than 5 years of operation

After less than 5 years in business, Theater Box closed in San Diego’s Gaslight District. Also closed bars and restaurants Sugar Factory and Villa One Tequila Gardens, which are already 3 months old.

The famed Chinese Theater team in Los Angeles had high hopes for their luxurious Theater Box when it opened its doors at the Gaslamp in San Diego in December 2018. Nick Cannon.

A former Reading Cinema building at Fifth Avenue and G Street has been converted into a Hollywood-style luxury cinema by Eli Samaha, President and COO of TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, Alvin Hight Kushner, and Sugar Factory founder Charissa Davidovici. During its four years of operation, the 73,000-square-foot space has housed a variety of hospitality concepts, including the Sugar Factory American Beer Bar and Chocolate Salon, Nick Cannon’s Wild’N Out sports bar and arcade, and most recently, Nick Jonas and John Varvatos. sponsored by Villa One Tequila Garden & Rooftop Lounge, which just opened in September 2022. The project’s cinema included eight high-definition movie screens on the second floor of the building with 815 upscale reclining seats in total. as well as first-row salons for two.

Jorge “Mr. Tempo” Cueva

The Theater Box venue, Wild’N Out sports bar, Sugar Factory, and Villa One Tequila Gardens are now permanently closed, although partner Eli Samaha hopes to keep and redevelop the three-story space. In the coming months, it is planned to expand Mr. Tempo Mexican Cantina and open a new sports bar concept on 10,000 square feet at ground level. The former Wild’N Out premises on 6th Avenue are likely to be leased to another operator.

Samaha also partnered with Mr. Tempo founder Jorge Cueva, who also runs King & Queen Cantina in San Diego’s Little Italy and is running an upscale Tulum-style steakhouse in the division that housed part of the Sugar Factory. The team is in talks with celebrities such as chef Todd English and Mark Wahlberg to partner on a steakhouse project. No word yet on what will happen to the cinema’s premises, though the owners are toying with the idea of ​​keeping some of them, using the storage space and running a music room and bar.

The theater box is located at 701 5th Avenue in Gaslamp San Diego. For more information, visit theatrebox.com.