Tilted Kilt in Mission Valley closes

Blame it partly on the exit of the Chargers, but the Tilted Kilt in Mission Valley has closed its doors, a victim of declining traffic.

The second Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery to open in San Diego, the sports bar arrived at the Westfield Mission Valley center in 2011. Still operating is the Tilted Kilt franchise in East Village near Petco Park.

In a statement from the Tilted Kilt, the company attributed the recent closure to the “changing demographics and customer base associated with the exit of the San Diego Chargers,” in addition to declining mall traffic.”

The franchisee who operated the Mission Valley location will now focus its attention on the downtown location, a statement said.

At the time the restaurant and sports bar opened, the company touted its more than thirty 50-inch flat screen plasma TVs and six 180-inch high-definition projection screens.

It also faced competition from other nearby sports bars, including Buffalo Wild Wings, which replaced Seau’s in late 2013, and Hooters.

The departure of the Chargers for Los Angeles may have been the final factor in the decision to close, but the restaurant’s location and competition from other venues that offer opportunities for watching sports also likely contributed to the closure, said commercial real estate broker John Jennings.

“A sports bar is not necessarily going to live or die by the Chargers staying here,” said Jennings, senior managing director with Newmark Knight Frank Retail in San Diego. “Their particular location was not the best location in Mission Valley, and there’s also more competition with all these new restaurants, even if they’re not a sports bar, offering a lot of the same experience - the TV’s and beers on tap.

“The Chargers leaving may have just pushed it over the edge.”

It’s unknown what will replace the Tilted Kilt space. A representative of the Westfield mall did not return calls seeking comment.