CNBC and Ben Bernanke say the Recession is over. The stock market is 11017 today.
I don’t buy the Great Recession label it is the trough of the second Depression. I try to keep it positive and find solutions and maybe this sounds crazy but kiosks for what Americans are buying maybe could keep us afloat?
I just don’t buy it. Just as I won’t buy Dior, Gaultier, or Prada right now. Orange County retail has not come back. It’s not the disaster that residential is because landlords and banks aren’t evicting major tenants. ICSC states statistics of less than seven percent vacancy but I drive Pacific Coast Highway daily and I see about 20% of the storefronts with “for lease” signs. Those vacancy blemishes are even seen by the Irvine Company and Koll Company.
For example: restaurants. I thank heaven my favorites are still open: Jack’s in Dana Point, Dizz’s, the Splashes Bar, Sapphire, and Mayur are all still active and serving wonderful meals. However, my personal best list does not include the sector most likely to survive (which is anywhere that sells lunch and a drink for under five dollars). In about a year more than one hundred restaurants have closed in Orange County. I am sure I missed some so please comment and add your input.
1. Champagnes Newport Beach
2. Finbars Italian Kitchen in Rancho Santa Margarita
3. Sandella’s Flatbread Bakery in Aliso Viejo
4. Brea closures: Carvao Grill, Club 330, Market City Cafe.
5. Irvine-based Juice it Up Woodbury Town Center
6. Train Wreck Pizza, Los Alamitos,
7. The Front Porch BBQ in Huntington Beach
8. Fatburger, Quiznos and Extreme Pizza Trabuco
9. Quiznos in Westminster, Fullerton Tustin Orange
10. Yogen Fruz in Brea
11. Baja Fresh in Newport Beach at The Bluffs
12. Jody Maroni’s at The Block in Orange
13. Piccomolo Italian Ice Cream sWoodbury Town Center.
14. Lakeview Cafe in Placentia,
15. Fusion Roll and Sushi Costa Mesa.
16. The Carl’s Jr. Fountain Valley
17. Quiznos in Santa Ana,
18. Pacific Whey Cafe Ladera Ranch.
19. Haute Links in Irvine and Lake Forest
20. Sandbox Sports Bar in Huntington Beach
21. Bill’s Burgers 2 storesSanta Ana
22. 5 MaggieMoo’s ice cream shops)
23. Westbay Cafe Huntington Beach
24. TCBY (frozen yogurt) in Laguna Niguel
25. Greek Garden Grill in Orange
26. The Arches, a Newport Beach institution
27. Ho-Toy’s Chinese Cuisine in Trabuco Canyon
28. Peet’s Coffee in Anaheim Hills
29. Daphne’s Greek Cafe at the Orange and Santa Ana
30. The Beach House in Dana Point,
31. Cold Stone Creamery in Santa Ana
32. McDonald’s closes at Fashion Island
33. Waters Restaurant and Mezzanine Restaurant, both in Irvine
34. Lugatti’s Italian Grill in Huntington Beach
35. Champps in Irvine
36. The Pleasant Peasant
37. Topz in Santa Ana and Orange
38. Red Mango Fullerton and Laguna Niguel.
39. The Juice it Up Irvine
40. Johnny Rockets in Lake Forest
41. Carl’s Jr. Fullerton
42. Sumo Sushi Irvine
43. Bliss Froyo in Orange
44. The Black Angus Fullerton
45. Cold Stone Creamery Orange
46. Golden Spoon Yogurt s
47. Bistro West Tustin
48. The Wicked Garden Dana Point
49. Table Ten Fullerton
50. Mel’s Drive-in in Seal Beach
51. Jason’s Downtown Restaurant
52. Beach Berries in Costa Mesa
53. Burger King Laguna Niguel
54. Yum Yum Costa Mesa.
55. Wienerschnitzel in Mission Viejo
56. Go Roma at Tustin
57. The Clubhouse at South Coast Plaza
58. Via de France at The Shops in Mission Viejo
59. Vessia Ristorante in Irvine
60. Pasta Pomodoro in Huntington
61. Charo Chicken Irvine
62. Contodo Mexican Grill
63. Z Pizza in Foothill Ranch.
64. Mesa Grill in Santa Ana
65. Bob’s Kabob in Foothill Ranch
66. Sushi 5 Tustin,
67. Stella Cafe in Corona del Mar
68. Baja Fresh in Anaheim Hills.
69. Dickey’s BBQ in Irvine
70. Gen Kai Dana Point- fire?Red Robin Stanton
71. Baja Fresh in Santa Ana
72. Blue Coral Seafood & Spirits in Fashion Island noone seems to make it in that pad-
73. Karuta Restaurant in Buena Park,
74. Brea Mall :;Arby’s , Volcano Tea House, Teriyaki Palace.
75. Purplefeet Dana Point
76. East Avenue Bistro in Tustin
77. Blue Fish in Santa Ana has
78. Mustard Cafe Mission Viejo and Orange.
79. Cask ‘n Cleaver Orange,
80. Starbucks in Brea
81. Haru Izakaya in Tustin
82. Shore House Cafe in Huntington Beach and San Clemente
83. Gen Kai in Irvine
84. Peking Garden in Orange h
85. Savannah Supper Club in Costa Mesa
86. Yamabuki Anaheim
87. Thai Spice in Lake Forest
88. Wendy’s at Foothill Ranch
89. Cherry Berry Lake Forest
90. Juice it Up Anaheim i.
91. R&D Deli Grill & Catering in Lake Forest
92. Black Angus Lake Forest and Tustin
93. Izakaya Zero, Huntington Beach,
94. Islands, Laguna Hills.
95. Kona,Sunset Beach,
96. East Avenue Bistro in Tustin
97. Bobby McGee’s in Brea.
98. Ono Ono Hawaiian Barbecue in Rancho Santa Margarita.
99. Fresca’s Mexican Grill i Foothill Ranch
100. Sizzler in San Juan Capistrano
101. Juice it Up and Pasta Bravo Market Place in Irvine)
102. Hof’s Hut in Orange
103. Raku Raku Lake Forest.
104. Triple S restaurant in Tustin .
105. Mama and Papa’s New York Pizza in Fullerton
106. Alvarado’s Kitchen in Anaheim Hills is closed,
107. Bristol Farms,
108. Aldo’s Ristorante in Orange
109. El Torito Grill in Mission Viejo
So where does this lead me? What businesses will survive? Laguna Beach and San Clemente are against national chain brands entering their markets. The national brands looking to expand are those such as Bed Bath and Beyond and Discount Retailers. As much as my teenage son would support a Game Stop store in Laguna, I just don’t see it ever getting through the planning commission. My teens have always been the best stock pickers and crystal ball economists. .My eldest teen Blair could have told you Rock & Republic was out of style twenty four months ago. Perhaps our City Planning might consider a sporting goods supply (not surf but baseball football and teen boys sports clothing) and a small version of Forever 21? If they don’t we are going to be seeing billboards for LAP Band surgery centers and Medical Marijuana Doctor stores. Perhaps we can put them in kiosks or mobile homes and disguise them just for tax basis? All written with a light heart to brainstorm solutions.
