The Hive @ Hillcrest coming to prime location

By Ken Williams | Editor

George Flint has a delightful sense of humor. Just check out his LinkedIn profile, where he describes himself as a “real estate and serial entrepreneur.”

Now that’s a killer promotional line!

In real life, Flint is more Clark Kent than Superman, wearing eyeglasses and sandals, and carrying himself like the Gen-X’er that he is.

The 36-year-old Encinitas resident showed San Diego Uptown News around the gutted building that formerly housed Harvey Milk’s American Diner and the iconic City Deli before that. Here will be his latest business venture with his Orange County business partner Luke Bustami: an “urban beauty and wellness experience” dubbed The Hive @ Hillcrest, located at one of the neighborhood’s most visible spots at the southwest corner of Sixth and University avenues.

Artist rendering of salon’s entrance (Courtesy of The Hive @ Hillcrest)

“This is such a great location,” Flint said. “We’re bringing to Hillcrest a one-stop health, beauty and wellness experience that we think people desperately want.”

Flint is waiting for city permits, expected any day now, before he can bring in a beehive of workers to convert the building into 30 private suites where customers could get their hair done, threading, waxing, tanning, facials and massages.

Estheticians and possibly even chiropractors could set up shop there, he said.

But The Hive won’t be offering any space for a nail salon, since property owner Morgan Gilman already has such a tenant just down the street. Flint said he was fine with the stipulation, but told Gilman that in return he didn’t want any competition for the services he would offer.

If all goes as planned, The Hive will open in mid-June, he said.

Featuring sound-insulated walls and locking doors, the studios will range in size from 87 to 153 square feet, and weekly rents will be from $231 to $485. Prime-location studios will have windows overlooking either University or Sixth, and tenants will pay the higher rents for those spots. Tenants will operate on a lease that is renewable month to month, and either party can give a 30-day notice to end that lease, Flint said.

The building at the corner of Sixth and University avenues in Hillcrest that formerly housed Harvey Milk’s American Diner as well as City Deli will become a salon by summertime. (Photo by Ken Williams)

“Our goal, our philosophy is to help beauty and wellness providers, who are typically independent contractors, to be able to be their own bosses and run their own businesses,” he said.

“This will empower them. They can be true entrepreneurs, and they can set their own hours and prices. This is a turn-key business,” Flint added. “We believe the rents are low enough that they can make their [monthly] rent in eight to 10 days.”

Flint is senior managing director of BNF Real Estate Group in San Diego, a co-founder and broker with Visionary Property Management, and co-founder of Impact Reduction Apparel, according to his LinkedIn profile.

A 2004 graduate of San Diego State University with a bachelor’s degree, Flint got his MSBA in finance in 2009, also from SDSU. He started his first business, Visionary Paint Services, while still in college and ran the company for eight years.

Flint said he signed a five-year lease with Gilman with a five-year option. Asked about all the buzz about the long-vacant Pernicano property next door on Sixth Avenue possibly being redeveloped and talk about the Gilman property being included in some of the grand schemes being pitched to the community, Flint said he wasn’t concerned about that. He said he would be willing to negotiate with any future developer about providing spa services to a hotel, should that be the case.

Regardless, Flint is convinced that Hillcrest residents will support The Hive. “We believe a supermajority of our clients will walk or bike here,” he said, describing his demographic as more female than male, ages 20s through 50s.

Artist rendering of a massage salon (Courtesy of The Hive @ Hillcrest)

Flint said The Hive will have a grand opening in June. “We want the whole community to come out and check us out.”

Meanwhile, The Hive is taking applications for those interested in renting a suite. Call 619-988-5876 or visit thehiveathillcrest.com for more information.

—Ken Williams is editor of Uptown News and Mission Valley News and can be reached at [email protected] or at 619-961-1952. Follow him on Twitter at KenSanDiego, Instagram account at KenSD or Facebook at KenWilliamsSanDiego.