The San Diego City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to allow the Boomers! family recreation center in Clairemont to start selling beer and wine.

The 5.5-acre site on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard near Interstate 805 is the last of the 13 Boomers! locations in the nation, including parks in El Cajon and Vista, to not be allowed to serve alcohol.

“We are always looking for ways to improve the guest experience at our parks,” said Kaitlyn Adams, a spokeswoman for Apex Parks Group. “Guests at our other locations have responded positively to our expanded food and drink menu and we want to bring the same options to our San Diego location.”

When the change was initially proposed last year to the Kearny Mesa Community Planning Group, it included adding a full-service restaurant to the site.


That wasn’t part of the request approved by the council Tuesday, and Adams declined to say whether adding a restaurant, which would likely require removal of some recreation amenities, is still in the company’s plans.

Boomers! parks feature indoor activities such as carousels, kiddie swings, musical shows and video game arcades, plus outdoor activities, such as miniature golf, kiddie rides, bumper boats, batting cages, go-karts and laser tag.

The San Diego location also has a rock wall and a ride called “The Flamethrower.”

City officials said allowing beer and wine sales is compatible with surrounding uses, which include a mobile home park to the north and commercial or industrial projects on the other three sides.


The community planning group approved the change last May, and the San Diego Planning Commission approved it in November.

The park opened in 1987 as a Family Fun Center. The name was changed to Boomers! in 2001 when a new owner bought it.

Recent reviews on Yelp! praise the park for providing quality entertainment for children and adults at a fair price, but also suggest the park needs to be renovated and upgraded.

A Boomers! in Fresno closed in 2017. Other California locations include Irvine, Palm Springs, Modesto, Fountain Valley, Upland and Santa Maria.


Outside California, the company has locations in Houston and Boca Raton, Fla.

david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick