There is nobody named “Joey” behind the Canadian-based restaurant chain that recently made its San Diego debut at Westfield UTC shopping mall, nor is the name in reference to a baby kangaroo.
Instead, the 10,600-square-foot restaurant inside a gleaming new structure at 4489 La Jolla Village Drive traces its roots to Calgary, Canada, where it launched in 1992 as a humble Italian joint called Joey Tomato’s.
As the brand expanded geographically and began adding globally inspired menu options, the name changed simply to JOEY…