La Finca De Adobe Morphs into Nectar Restaurant with an Additional 2-Story Commercial Building
- Susan Heavilin
- Oct 29, 2025
- 4 min read
In the back of the property at 5202 Bonita Road, sat a little, nondescript Mexican restaurant called La Finca de Adobe. Though it was small, it appears to have a very large corazón (heart)!
Their FaceBook page is still active and gives quite an insight into what the little restaurant once was. Inside and outside dining were offered along with curbside pickup. Over 700 reviews raved about how delicious the food was.
La Finca really emphasized celebrations —Taco Tuesdays, Cinco de Mayo, Easter Brunch, St. Patrick's Day, Baja Wednesdays, Valentines Day, Super Bowl, ¡Viva México!, Football Games, FIFA World Cup, Mother's Day, Singles Night, Live Music Fridays, Mariachi Sundays . . . it would be hard to compete with their social agenda. During the Champions League Final, they offered $2 tequila shots every time your team scored. That must have been a lugar feliz (happy place)!
The lot has sat empty for years and the building was unloved and falling into disrepair. The community often wondered what would become of the prime one-acre lot on the corner of Bonita Road and Frisbie Street.
In June of this year, a project appeared on the SCPG agenda to rejuvenate the run-down building and create a new Mexican restaurant called Nectar.
This is what the plan looked like when introduced to the Sweetwater Community Planning Group on June 3, 2025. Architect Abhay Sweitzer presented the plans for the new Nectar Restaurant and when asked, replied that he knew nothing about any plans for the additional space on the property. Minutes recorded from the meeting read as follows:
"Nectar Restaurant Tenant Improvement and Request for Exemptions—Abhay Sweitzer presenting. Site will be restored to previously approved condition. Unpermitted additions will be removed. Interior to be completely remodeled. New street access. Trash enclosures to be changed to meet compliance/regulation and setback requirements. New HVAC units, ground-mounted. Exterior downlighting compliant with dark sky ordinance. Tenant improvement minor in scope, with no increase in footprint or parking. No landscape being considered at this time. Will look into “no left turn” sign, as requested by Steve Stonehouse. Several questions answered, as follows. Parking lot will be resurfaced. Seating for 36 people. Parking spaces: 16. Chain link fence along Bonita Rd will stay. Timeline? If our group approves tonight, permit in 6 weeks. Construction takes 3-4 months. Owner lives in community. No more food truck. Not a chain restaurant. Motion to vote for Exemption (1st by Mark, 2nd by Judy). Recused members: Liz, Penny, and Harriet due to proximity of project to their homes. All other members present voted aye. Approved."—Lorie Noe, SCPG Secretary
Note that the minutes recorded "Tenant improvement minor in scope, with no increase in footprint or parking."
That was the construction plan in June and you can see that it is progressing. Then local residents received the following letter from the County of San Diego, Planning & Development Department in October of 2025.
Along with the restaurant being rebuilt, this new design includes a 2-story Commercial Building, with an approximate area of 8,440 square feet.
Here is the new look of the entire space:
Click on images to enlarge
The plan has since grown with every inch of the property in use. The property will now host two buildings with the rest of the open area covered with parking.
The proposed commercial building will be placed at the front of the property on Bonita Road.
My concern is that the building will block the view of what might be happening in that parking lot at night. A friend of mine—who is a retired police officer—recently informed me of all the bad deeds that occur in one of the local parking lots in the middle of the night. This parking lot could entice that same activity and would not be viewable to witnesses.
This is the image provided on the plans. I cannot tell if this is the front of the building (facing Bonita Road) or the back of the building (facing the parking lots). Either way, I don't think it's compatible with our Sweetwater Design Guidelines. The criteria below may be found on page 14 of the guidelines.
This 2-story commercial building is in defiance of all four General Site Design Criteria items.
As the building is two stories high, neighbors to the east lose all privacy in their back yards. They might also lose sunlight necessary for their vegetable gardens to grow if this building blocks the sun. In addition, it features a deck on top of the second story.
I would maintain that the 2-story building should not sit next to the residential side but would be better situated on the commercial side because of the 7/Eleven on the opposite side of Frisbie Street. Better yet, have the Planning Board deny it.
Any questions or comments you have may be referred to Christopher Jacob at Christopher.Jacobs@sdcounty.ca.gov or directly at 619.323.8718.
Every time a new business, even family owned ones, seeks to establish itself on this property, objections immediately follow. Thoughtful input is welcome, but ongoing opposition without realistic alternatives or willingness to invest is not productive. If there is a different vision for this site, it should come with a viable plan, not just resistance.