Press Release
SAN DIEGO (February 16, 2006)
CONTACT: Jan Percival, Scribe Communications 858-452-8958

BATTER UP! NOW PITCHING ‘FUN FAST FOOD’ AT MARKET CREEK PLAZA Baseball-Themed Restaurant Serves Big League Flavors
From Southeast San Diego Native Chef Melvin Johnson

– Batter Up! is now open in the Diamond Neighborhoods of Southeastern San Diego, offering a one-of-a-kind, ‘fun fast food’ experience highlighted by quality ingredients and a hard-ball flair for flavor, all in a lively sports-themed ambiance. Manager Melvin Johnson, a neighborhood native and seasoned chef, has stepped up to the plate with big league taste that can’t be found anywhere else in town.

Among the many new recipes and tasty flavor combinations now being served at Batter Up! are: battered, fresh, Shortstop Shrimp; Bring on the Heat, the restaurant’s signature Angus beef hamburger with a feisty kick; and a Triple Play Combo basket of battered fish, golden fried shrimp and Johnson’s famous chicken wings. The restaurant’s “real deal” Philly Pitcher is in a league of its own, with thin slices of authentic Philly beef on a big, 10-inch fresh hoagie roll imported direct from the City of Brotherly Love, loaded with onions, peppers, mushrooms and provolone cheese.

According to Chef Johnson, Batter Up! proves terrific food can be made-to-order at reasonable prices in a small, fast-food-style restaurant. So what’s his secret pitch? The creative layering of flavors, a technique he developed while working shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the world’s best-known celebrity chefs in America’s culinary capitals, and further enhanced during stints in Asian and European kitchens.

A devoted Padres fan, Johnson’s new venue is a tribute to the great American pastime. The 1,017-square-foot eatery includes four state-of-the-art plasma and LCD screens to catch televised games, a batter’s box ordering area and on-deck circle for those in line.  Genuine stadium fold-down seats accommodate those waiting on to-go orders.

“Batter Up! is the fun of a tailgate party in the comfort of the living room,” explained Johnson. “It’s the best of both worlds!” Happy to be back in the neighborhood he and his parents grew up in, Johnson also sees Batter Up! as a means to give back to his own community, by serving as a positive role model and providing real work experience and culinary training for local youth. “Years ago, my grandfather worked on this same land – it’s special to me,” he explained, referring to the factory that once occupied the site. “I want to see this part of town go from having one chef, me, to having dozens of talented chefs and restaurant operators,” he said.

Batter Up! is located at Market Creek Plaza, the innovative commercial and cultural center in the heart of the Diamond Neighborhoods in Southeastern San Diego. The new restaurant is part of a pioneering, resident-fueled community development effort supported by the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation (www.jacobscenter.org).  JCNI is an operating arm of the Jacobs Family Foundation, created by Dr. Joseph Jacobs Jr., Violet Jacobs and their family. Market Creek Plaza’s landmark programs establish local residents as both the creative force behind, and mechanism of, positive community change, creating opportunities for resident ownership, local employment and long-term community investment among other lasting benefits. The resident-driven Business and Leasing Team selected Chef Johnson from among dozens of local entrepreneurs to open a business at Market Creek Plaza. For more information, visit www.shopmcp.com.

Batter Up! is open daily at 342 Euclid Ave, in Market Creek Plaza, located in the heart of what is known as San Diego’s Diamond Neighborhoods. Named for its diamond-shaped business improvement district, the Diamond includes the communities of Valencia Park, Lincoln Park, Webster, Emerald Hills, Chollas View, Mountain View, Mount Hope, North Encanto, Oak Park, and South Encanto.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday. Call 619-262-3333 to place an order for dining in or take-out. The restaurant offers 18 seats inside and additional courtyard seating on the adjacent outdoor patio. For more information, visit www.gobatterup.com.