Escondido zoning administrator approves 1,210-square-foot outdoor dining expansion at North County Mall

Veronica Moronis, the City of Escondido zoning administrator, approved a precise plan modification (PL240299) and adopted Resolution 2025-02 on Jan. 30, 2025, authorizing a 1,210-square-foot expansion of outdoor dining for an existing restaurant tenant at North County Mall.

Alex Rangel, assistant planner, presented the request and noted an error in the staff report’s suite number that should be amended to Suite 247. Rangel described the project as a covered patio addition to the tenant space that would provide additional outdoor dining and said business operations would be consistent with existing interior and exterior operations. He said the proposal includes “alcoholic beverage consumption within the outdoor dining area for patrons only.”

Rangel said the project was reviewed under the mall master plan and the city’s zoning requirements, including Article 61 Division 1 (conditional use permits) and Article 57 (outdoor dining) and that the Escondido Police Department reviewed the proposed alcoholic beverage use and “does not foresee any concerns with the services provided at this location.” Moronis opened the public hearing, heard no public comments and then approved the resolution. She characterized the request as “a fairly straightforward request” and noted it was consistent with other Panini franchise locations.

The zoning administrator adopted Resolution 2025-02 and approved the precise plan modification as set forth in the staff report, with conditions of approval to ensure compliance with applicable zoning and planned development requirements. Staff noted the correction to the suite number in the staff report prior to formal action.