Modern upscale steakhouse Huntress has refreshed its menu and is now offering an All-Day Happy Hour in its bar and lounge areas. In downtown San Diego, it’s an eye-catching concept that includes reduced prices for food and cocktails, and offers 11 starters for less than $20.
The goal is to attract more locals to eat and drink in the Gaslamp Quarter, which has “lost some luster,” says Michael “Mikey G” Georgopoulos, a founder of RMD Group, which owns Huntress, Lumi, Swing Social and Rustic Root restaurants, all on downtown’s Fifth Avenue.
RMD Group also manages events at a dozen other venues that span Southern California from San Diego to Long Beach.
Georgopoulos is a food-and-beverage industry veteran who’s had a hand in Gaslamp bars and eateries for 25 years. He says Huntress, which sees 80% of its business come from tourists, is still an upscale restaurant but “the menu is now more approachable.”
Prices have been pared by 22%, he says. And the space has been warmed up: No more white linen tablecloths in the lounge. No velvet rope outside the front door.
“We’ve had to pivot,” Georgopoulos says. “The Gaslamp Quarter still hasn’t recovered from the pandemic. Tourism spending is down. There’s another minimum wage increase to deal with. Homelessness. People aren’t coming downtown like they used to.”
Business was also dealt a setback, he says, when the initial step to turn Fifth Avenue into a pedestrian-friendly Promenade – the bollard program that temporarily closed the street to automobile traffic – was abandoned.
Georgopoulos also notes there are far more options today for diners all over the county.
“There’s North County and also Little Italy and even Seaport Village,” Georgopoulos says. “Huntress is a foodie destination, but foodies have more options. So we’re also offering a vibe to our customer base.”
Huntress still caters to customers looking for Wagyu Strip Steak ($135) or Osetra Reserve Caviar ($155).
The All-Day Happy Hour hasn’t transformed the bar and lounge into a casual setting, but you can get a smash burger for $10 and draft beers for $6.
The price of both the steak and fries and Katsu sandwich meals have been dropped to $30, (a 50% decrease).
Notable “First Bites” include Ratatouille Skewers, Lobster Toast, Beef Carpaccio Tostada, Tomato Burrata and Sweet Corn Soup.
“There are people walking up the block looking for a place to go,” Georgopoulos says. “Our food and decor are great, we’ve lowered prices and we want to take care of locals.” SDSun
