A brand new concept called Lana is preparing to replace a longstanding California chain restaurant that has been there for over thirty years in Solana Beach at 437 South Highway 101.
Lana, named after the neighborhood it will sit in, will replace California Pizza Kitchen, which will close for good at the end of this week following a 32-year run on South Highway 101, according to San Diego Magazine. The new restaurant is the latest from two well-known industry veterans, Mark Wheadon and Travis LeGrand, and is expected to open in February 2025, offering local and coastal cuisine with influences from Southern California, Baja California, and Asia.
A head chef for Lana has yet to be selected, but the owners have decided to go with designer Megan Power at Workind Studio to create a “coastal vintage-luxe setting” for the restaurant’s interior. This isn’t the only major restaurant Power is working on right now, as the designer is also helping Puffer Malarkey Collective with Le Coq and Drew Deckman with his upcoming North Park project, 31Thirtyone. This location will be perfect for Lana, considering it is right next to the Beachwalk Shopping Center and a stone’s throw from the beach.
While this will be the first restaurant for Wheadon and LeGrand, who will serve as the new restaurant’s general manager and wine and beverage operator, respectively, the two are no strangers to the dining scene in Southern California. While both are level 2 sommeliers, LeGrand has worked at The Marine Room, Waypoint Public, Herringbone, and Oceanaire, and Wheadon’s experience comes from working at the Tree Room at Sundance Resort, The Avalon in Beverly Hills, Ruth’s Chris, The Riverhorse in Park City, and Crescent Heights in San Diego. While they both have plenty of experience behind them, Wheadon has lived in Solana Beach for the last decade and hopes to create a “true neighborhood place,” he tells SD Mag.
