For two of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce's newest members, the Palomar Place Neighborhood Retail Center, on Palomar Airport Road across from Costco, built from the ground up where the Pat & Oscars once stood, provided a unique opportunity to enter the Carlsbad market.
Representatives for the Burger Lounge and Nothing Bundt Cakes said the new development, which has more than 15,000 square feet of space spread across two buildings with nine suites (only one of which, as of press time, remained available for lease) offered a rare chance to go into a new building in the city.
Mara Fortin, who runs five franchises of Las Vegas-based bakery Nothing Bundt Cakes in San Diego County, said she knew for some time that she wanted to open one of her stores in Carlsbad.
"When we open our bakeries our guests tell us where we need to go next," said Fortin, adding that Carlsbad residents were driving to her store in Del Mar and letting her know they wanted her to come up north. "We didn't know where we would grow in other areas, but we always knew Carlsbad was one of them."
The challenge, she added, was finding the right location.
"There's not a whole lot of new development," she said. "One day, sitting in the office, we found out about this new center, where ground hadn't even been broken yet… We were thrilled to find what is now this beautiful, new center in a prime location."
Fortin was a practicing attorney in Las Vegas before she decided she wanted to "shift gears" and found out about the company's franchising opportunities. She opened Nothing Bundt Cake's first-ever franchise in Poway in 2006. She now has five franchises in the county including the one in Carlsbad, and plans to open one in San Marcos later this year.
J. Dean Loring, CEO and co-founder of San Diego-based Burger Lounge, said Carlsbad provide an attractive market because of its residents, its business and tourism populations, adding that it "represents what Southern California is all about, sun, surf, family, thriving business."
Loring said Burger Lounge, too, was happy to find Palomar Place.
"It is a luxury to build a restaurant in a new building," he said. "Often brands looking for key locations must build in existing structures with decades of issues. Juxtaposed between a Starbucks and a Costco in a town full of healthy outdoor types surrounded by business parks feels like a perfect storm."
Burger Lounge, which opened in 2007 and prides itself on making burgers that "taste great…and use healthy ingredients produced in a sustainable environment" worked with its design team to include elements that reinforce the consistency of the brand and add new innovative design features.
"The Carlsbad guest will experience efficient dining in an atmosphere developed around their every need. Indoor, outdoor, spacious seating, ample parking," Loring said.
"Frankly, we feel spoiled," he added.
Representatives for the Burger Lounge and Nothing Bundt Cakes said the new development, which has more than 15,000 square feet of space spread across two buildings with nine suites (only one of which, as of press time, remained available for lease) offered a rare chance to go into a new building in the city.
Mara Fortin, who runs five franchises of Las Vegas-based bakery Nothing Bundt Cakes in San Diego County, said she knew for some time that she wanted to open one of her stores in Carlsbad.
"When we open our bakeries our guests tell us where we need to go next," said Fortin, adding that Carlsbad residents were driving to her store in Del Mar and letting her know they wanted her to come up north. "We didn't know where we would grow in other areas, but we always knew Carlsbad was one of them."
The challenge, she added, was finding the right location.
"There's not a whole lot of new development," she said. "One day, sitting in the office, we found out about this new center, where ground hadn't even been broken yet… We were thrilled to find what is now this beautiful, new center in a prime location."
Fortin was a practicing attorney in Las Vegas before she decided she wanted to "shift gears" and found out about the company's franchising opportunities. She opened Nothing Bundt Cake's first-ever franchise in Poway in 2006. She now has five franchises in the county including the one in Carlsbad, and plans to open one in San Marcos later this year.
J. Dean Loring, CEO and co-founder of San Diego-based Burger Lounge, said Carlsbad provide an attractive market because of its residents, its business and tourism populations, adding that it "represents what Southern California is all about, sun, surf, family, thriving business."
Loring said Burger Lounge, too, was happy to find Palomar Place.
"It is a luxury to build a restaurant in a new building," he said. "Often brands looking for key locations must build in existing structures with decades of issues. Juxtaposed between a Starbucks and a Costco in a town full of healthy outdoor types surrounded by business parks feels like a perfect storm."
Burger Lounge, which opened in 2007 and prides itself on making burgers that "taste great…and use healthy ingredients produced in a sustainable environment" worked with its design team to include elements that reinforce the consistency of the brand and add new innovative design features.
"The Carlsbad guest will experience efficient dining in an atmosphere developed around their every need. Indoor, outdoor, spacious seating, ample parking," Loring said.
"Frankly, we feel spoiled," he added.