“Working In The City” is The San Diego Sun’s feature Q&A series with downtown San Diego business operators. It’s a way to get to know the city by meeting the people who work here. This is the 26th in an ongoing series.
Company Name: Witherby at The Beau Hotel (927 Sixth Avenue, Gaslamp Quarter)
What Happens Here: Witherby is a California Modern restaurant on the ground floor of one of the oldest hotels in San Diego. The California Modern cuisine will be inspired from around the Mediterranean (Spain, Italy, France, North Africa). Great service and special touches will make the experience memorable.
Executive chef: Robin James. Previously worked at Top of the Market, The University Club atop Symphony Towers, Fleming’s, Bali Hai, Morgan Run Country Club, and Jake’s in Del Mar (and a few more).
My commute: I live in Kensington, and have about a 10-minute drive to work. I’ve lived all over the county for 30-plus years but never downtown.
Company deets: Witherby opened May 16, 2025. The Beau Hotel opened earlier, on Valentine’s Day this year. The hotel is owned by Cathy Herrick, who has spent her career renovating and restoring historic properties throughout San Diego, with a focus on downtown.
Hotel history: Originally built in 1886 as the Leland Hotel, the building later became the Beaumanor, housing a secret speakeasy during Prohibition. The boutique property has 53 rooms. The original 1886 bar remains. There’s a rumor that the building is inhabited by a friendly spirit.
Employees: Less than 20. Great staff finds you. We’re lucky to have a mix of local downtowners and folks from all over San Diego.
Best aspects of working downtown: Walkability and access.
Worst aspects of working downtown: Traffic can be difficult during peak times and baseball games/events at Petco Park.
Big-event bumps: We love seeing folks dressed in their Padres gear coming for a pregame drink and snack. We often have guests who come from North County for a baseball game and stay in the hotel so they don’t have to drive all the way home afterward. Convention business is a big draw for us. We love vacationing guests, too.
Parking: There are a lot of parking options nearby, so it hasn’t been much of an issue for us. We also partner with LAZ Parking, which has a garage around the corner from us.
Scariest downtown work memory: Not long ago, a work truck caught fire and exploded across the street from us. It was a pretty dramatic effort to put out the fire. SDSun
