We had the good fortune of connecting with Luis Lopez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Luis, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My father was the Executive Chef at a restaurant in Cardiff by the sea. in 2007 After graduating college in Santa Barbara I moved home, and my father asked me if I wanted to open a restaurant with him. After about 15 seconds of thinking obviously the answer was YES!!! In July of 2010 we opened the “Lighthouse Oyster Bar and Grill” located here in the Oceanside harbor.

The idea of opening a restaurant was easy…. experience was a leading factor but getting to do what we love with the people we love is priceless. 14 years have flown by…ups, downs, Covid and an ever so changing economy didn’t slow us down. While we know there is always room for change, we have stood our ground and thanks to our community incredibly happy with what we have built.

In 2015 we opened our Fish Market located directly downstairs from the restaurant. Fresh seafood delivered daily was a motto we already had in place at the restaurant but to offer that to our community and be able to cook the ingredients as they want was a fun change. Since then, the market has acted as our “stay fresh” regulator. What gets delivered in the market is put into display for sale day of. When the market closes the product goes directly upstairs and sold into the restaurant day in and day out. This ensures that the fish and seafood is fresh every day, cuts down on waste and produces a taste that is unmatched.

We are currently building our newest project in Vista, Ca. that will be called “Seven Seas” located directly downtown in Vista Village. Similar concept with a full bar to boot!! Looking forward to what the future entails and thankful for all the support.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I treat work as a challenge and never forget that there will be good and bad days. The less bad days the better but if you can treat the bad ones more as simple challenges they seem to be occur less and less. I take pride in teaching my staff how to handle difficult situations while turning frowns upside down. Food and beverage isn’t for everyone, working in the hospitality industry is certainly taxing but the rewards behind it is something that I feel no other industry can accomplish. I think everyone should have to work in the restaurant industry at some point in time. It would certainly change the way some see what we do as routine, easy or even basic.

A mentor taught me to turn your corporate ladder upside down where I like to conceptualize the view of our company’s employment hierarchy in which career advancement is considered to follow higher rungs on a ladder yet treating the lower ones with the greatest interests to succeed. Having the tools for my staff is very important but treating them like family has been a key to our success.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I have friends visit quite frequently and seem to always follow the same itineraries. I always start off here at the Lighthouse. The views here are unlike an other in north county and I believe that hearing seals and feeling the cool ocean breeze really puts visitors into “vacation time”.

After lunch here at the Lighthouse I take my guests on a walk from the Oceanside harbor to the Oceanside pier. Growth and coastal views you can literally feel the energy growing from within our city. Post walk we are definitely enjoying a taco and beer at craft coast. Simple yet delicious tacos, homebrewed beer you cant find anywhere else.

Post Craft coast we are hitting up the fam at Ride Oside for some rental bikes and hitting the coast. I typically make my way down to the the carlsbad/south O border then proceed to cruise back to downtown oceanside stopping along the way at various spots like Little Fox Cup for a ice cream taco, privateer for some mahi mahi rolled tacos, wrench and rodent for a couple nigiri. After returning our rental bikes we walk up to the seabird hotel for a happy hour sunset beverage at the “roof top bar”. Post happy hour its typically dinner at either Mission avenue, the flying pig or Rim Talay for Thai food. Post dinner is always Handles ice cream and if we have enough energy a night cap at Frankies.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Wouldn’t be here without my Father Chef Luis and mother Linda. Thankful to have our flagship restaurant in Oside. Community is number 1 and we are incredibly blessed to be in one of the greatest growing communities in San Diego. Huge shoutout to the City of Oceanside, Visit Oceanside crew and the other elite restaurants in that collectively help elevate our community.

Website: https://lighthhouseoceanside.com

Instagram: @lighthouseoceanside

Facebook: lighthouseoceanside

Yelp: lighthouse oyster bar and grill

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSoCal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.