Urban Kitchen Group is Bringing a New Restaurant to Bankers Hill
Tracy Borkum and chef-partner Tim Kolanko of Urban Kitchen Group are bringing a new all-day restaurant concept to Bankers Hill. The approximately 5,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor space sits at Fifth Avenue and Laurel Street – directly across from their Michelin Bib Gourmand-recognized CUCINA urbana.
The corner has been vacant since the closures of Civico by the Park and Il Dandy, and having Urban Kitchen Group bring it back to life is a welcome development for Bankers Hill.
A Return to Where it All Started
For Borkum, a longtime Bankers Hill resident, this project is personal. The details – name, culinary direction, and design – are still being kept close to the chest, but an anticipated opening in late 2027 gives the team time to get it right.
Urban Kitchen Group has deep roots here, and the new concept represents a meaningful next chapter for a team that has watched Bankers Hill evolve into one of San Diego’s strongest dining corridors.
What They’re Bringing to the Table
Borkum has spent nearly three decades shaping San Diego’s dining scene, most notably with her 2009 transformation of the former Laurel restaurant into CUCINA urbana.
Today, Urban Kitchen Group spans a portfolio of acclaimed concepts including CUCINA enoteca, The Kitchen at MCASD La Jolla, ARTIFACT at Mingei, Gold Finch Modern Delicatessen, Morena Provisions, and Urban Kitchen at the Rady Shell.
Kolanko brings over 30 years of culinary leadership to the project, with an ingredient-driven philosophy and deep relationships with regional farmers and purveyors that have long shaped the group’s culinary identity.
A Neighborhood on the Rise
The new UKG project is one of several notable developments taking shape in Bankers Hill. The team behind Cowboy Star will soon open a new restaurant nearby, and Kitchens for Good has announced a culinary impact center in the neighborhood.
Together, these investments signal that Bankers Hill’s dining scene is very much still in motion.
See you there!
Details are still forthcoming, but this is one to watch.
📍 505 Laurel Street, San Diego
ℹ️ See what’s coming here
See you there, San Diego!
