Filippi's Pizza May Open By Mid-February

After the building's ventilation and air-conditioning gets fixed and final inspections take place, Filippi's Pizza Grotto will open a new restaurant in Imperial Beach next month, said Bob DePhilippis.

Both Filippi's and the Coronado Brewing Company sought to lease the property at the corner of 3rd Street and Palm Avenue owned by the Rahimpour Family Trust last year.

"We expect to open within the next two weeks," he told IB Patch Thursday.

DePhilippis said he can't wait to open the 13th Filippi's Pizza Grotto in IB. Potential employees were excited about the restaurant opening as well.

The restaurant put a single 'for hire' ad on Craigslist Wednesday and invited applicants to stop by between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

"165 people showed up for 26 positions. Unbelievable," DePhilippis said. "We're trying to hire local IB people for the fact that most of them live close."

Among changes that have been made, booths will be installed indoors and a large Venetian mural has been painted across two walls.

"We'll wait until it gets a little warmer. The main thing is to get the doors open," he said about changes to a patio area and outdoor seating.

The bar that was part of the restaurant Filippi's will replace has also been torn out.

"We will have beer and wine, but we got rid of the bar. The booze bring problems, and we don't need that," he said.

The family-owned Filippi's restaurants are in 12 different locations across San Diego, with additional locations in Temecula and Napa.

Bob's daughter Michelle, who lives in the nearby Coronado Cays, will manage the IB restaurant.

The Imperial Beach location will seat around 140 people and will be open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

The restaurant will not make deliveries but will take pickup orders.