Moniker Warehouse building in the East Village. The Moniker Coffee concept will be part of the Moniker General space within the Liberty Station development.
Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet? That’s a complicated question for the San Diego native Moniker Group, Inc.whose entrepreneurial umbrella protects a variety of projects under the Moniker brand.
There is a multifunctional art and business center called Moniker Magazinean interior design company called Moniker Projectand its own line of exclusive furniture called Pseudonym madeTheir latest development is an open-air shopping center called Moniker General, currently under construction in a historic Navy building at 2860 Sims Road in San Diego’s Liberty Station development.
It is located directly opposite Stone Brewing CompanyMoniker General will have its own tasting room run by affable brewers from SD 32 Northern Brewery Companyand a modular retail concept that includes some Moniker Made goods among other local producers. There will also be a Moniker Coffee stand, which, if successful, could become the breeding ground for an independent Moniker Coffee concept in the future.
Visualization of the future Moniker Coffee space. Courtesy of Moniker Group.
“The goal would be to build the brand in a way that it can stand on its own or be mixed with other different concepts,” Moniker Group Inc. CEO Ryan Sisson told Daily Coffee News. “The opportunity we have to do this together is unique.”
Sisson said: “Our goal — the ‘why’ to our ‘what’ — is to create environments that assist communities come together. Sometimes that could be retail, coffee, warehouse space in the city center for events, a lot of different things.”
Coffee will be served by Moniker employees and will be delivered from Pasadena. Cup of Lifewhich recently expanded south to the San Diego area. “We’ll have our own blend that we worked on with Copa Vida, and we’ll be serving theirs as well,” Sisson said. Curtis Brewers and the two-unit La Marzocco Linea will be supported by a trio of Mahlkönigs behind the counter — specifically, K30 Vario, K30 Twin and EK43. Nitro frosty brew will be available on tap.
As for whether Moniker Coffee could have its own roastery, it’s not impossible, but it’s not in the current plan. “Our company’s growth has always been based on the people we have in it, so if someone comes in who is really passionate about roasting and wants to do it, I could see potentially getting involved,” Sisson said. “But I also love working with great people, and the guys at Copa Vida are phenomenal.”
Visualization of the future Moniker Coffee space. Courtesy of Moniker Group.
Of the 4,200 square feet of open space, about 1,000 square feet will be dedicated to the coffee area, although there will be no walls between one area and the other. Moniker Coffee will share an L-shaped counter with the beer service area, and customers are encouraged to move between the areas with beer, coffee, or retail goods in hand. Another 1,000 square feet of outdoor seating will be available for customers as well as for special events. Moniker General is currently scheduled to open in March 2016.
