SAN DIEGO — A Bankers Hill restaurant reopens on Thursday, nine months after pandemic-related restrictions led the owner to close the bar and burger joint seemingly for good.

Chef Tom Logsdon announced in July 2020 that The Balboa Bar and Grill at 1863 Fifth Avenue in Bankers Hill would close because of the coronavirus pandemic. With no outdoor seating and increasing restrictions, he said there was no way to keep the doors open at the time.

Logsdon and the team shifted their attention to their second restaurant in the Third Avenue Village of Chula Vista, which opened a few months before the pandemic hit. Then, Logsdon got a call from his former landlord at the Bankers Hill property.

“Luckily, the landlord reached out and wanted to work with us and find a solution to re-open,” Logsdon said. “We’re really happy to be reopening our Bankers Hill location.”

Customers will notice a big change when The Balboa reopens at 4 p.m. Thursday. The landlord offered Logsdon and his team the space next to the restaurant, doubling their seating area.

The Balboa will be able to keep its original number of seats and maintain service as it was before the pandemic thanks to the added space for guests, a news release from the restaurant said. The Balboa is also rolling out a new cocktail menu and slimmed down food menu during reopening.