The Plot

What they do

Having been a vegan for over 25 years, Jessica Waite wanted to apply zero-waste and regenerative practices to a plant-based restaurant concept.

While attending the California Resource & Recovery Association conference in 2017, where her husband and partner Davin co-hosted a plenary session doing a live zero-waste demonstration of cutting and using all the parts of a yellowfin tuna—cheeks, skin, bone marrow, and all—Jessica wrote up a business plan.

Two and a half years after the conference, in 2019, The Plot was born.

In South Oceanside, the restaurant specializes in making everything from scratch, including its vegan proteins. Though the restaurant features a plant-based menu, about 70% of its customers are omnivores. “Our customers tell us they would be vegan if they get to eat like this every day,” Jessica shares.

(If you are familiar with the food scene in the San Diego region, you may already know of the Waites from Wrench & Rodent Seabasstropub, a popular sushi and seafood restaurant—also in South Oceanside—that opened in 2013.)

Because their restaurants use locally sourced ingredients whenever possible, Jessica and Davin have longstanding relationships with local purveyors, often volunteering their time and talents to host gatherings and private chef dinners for the community.

Jessica says, “My goal for The Plot is that it can be scalable and create a model based on things we believe in and that the community can believe in.” Or, as their website says, the goal is to “build one, make it awesome, then build many.”

The Plot Holdings is opening two new locations of The Plot: A full-size restaurant in Costa Mesa and a smaller express location in Carlsbad.

Why we invested

With the new locations, The Plot Holdings sought capital to purchase kitchen equipment, complete build-outs, and cover other operating costs.

“It was our first time working with a lender and it was important we work with an aligned organization,” says Jessica. Referring to the impact they are creating with their team and partners, Jessica maintains that “The most important thing is not what we build, but who we build it with.”

Read more about The Plot in this San Diego Business Journal article.