Today we’d like to introduce you to Linde Hotchkiss.
Hi Linde, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My brother, Jason Hotchkiss is an amazing Chef. He went to the Culinary Academy in San Francisco and made his way down to LA following that. He put Bottega Louie on the map (18th business single location restaurant in the US and the #1 Yelped restaurant in the world) as their Executive Chef and then I convinced him to move to San Diego. Several years after moving to San Diego, he reminded me of a conversation we had some 25 years prior – that when he was ready to have his own restaurant, I would beg, borrow and steal to make it happen for him. in 2019, we purchased Encontro North Park, a restaurant that Jason had helped develop from day one.
Then came the pandemic where we closed for 43 days and weathered so many challenges. We helped our neighboring establishments, delivering food to True North and Hess Brewing so that they could be open during the pandemic. Utilizing a grant from Marcus Lemonis, we provided 2,800 meals with dignity to those with food insecurity at the YMCA, Feeding San Diego and Dreams for Change. Jason cares so much about creating experiences for others, it shows when people come in for a meal or a craft beer.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We were challenged navigating the changing environment during the pandemic and opted to be conservative about how and when we opened (outdoor dining only). We were very grateful for some grants and the PPP program which helped us stay open during the pandemic and then when the world opened up, the revenues really took off. We had a great parklet that people loved to come dine in, but the city made us take it down because while we literally used their blueprints and followed every rule, they changed the program and we no longer had the appropriate turning radius for a wheelchair (5 ft) and were too close to a light pole. This changed the ability to seat people which impacted the top line, but then literally every expense increased, minimum wage keeps increasing, the cost of chicken, eggs, produce, etc. all went up in some cases multiples of costs pre-pandemic. We have been struggling to even break even, but many months, we are paying to keep the restaurant running and our 35 employees with jobs.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Encontro North Park?
Encontro is a fantastic casual dining restaurant with food created by Jason Hotchkiss, fantastic craft beers (18+ on tap), and a cool ambiance designed by Basile Studios. The menu has been influenced by our trips to Baja with patatas bravas, an incredible breakfast burrito, a baja caesar salad, as well as our early years in New England – Jason’s New England style lobster roll is to die for!
We give back every chance we get, supporting Junior Achievement of San Diego, TranscenDANCE, Dreams for Change, and our favorite, Freedom Dogs. Over the years, we have purchased many service dogs for the program that provides comfort and purpose to our armed forces struggling with PTSD.
During the recent government shutdown, we provided 63 gift cards to the Department of Defense and provided a lunch for the La Mesa office of the Social Security Administration. Having dealt with food insecurity as children, this is a cause very close to our hearts so when we learned folks were not getting paid during the government shutdown, we wanted to do something to help.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Seeing my brother Jason happily interacting with people in the restaurant feeds my soul. Having someone point to my t-shirt on the strip in Las Vegas and yell Encontro North Park, I LOVE that place! I really enjoy giving back and supporting the people around me in finding their happy places.
I am a pilot of a jumbo balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and my brothers Jason, Will and Blake along with other family members and friends are usually on my balloon as handlers. I have been doing this for 28 years!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.encontronorthpark.com
- Instagram: @encontronorthpark
- Facebook: @encontronorthpark
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/oQkplOIr7d
