“When are you opening?” “Are you open?” “Can I book a party?”
Restaurateur Alicia Whitney fields those questions multiple times a day from people who stroll past her Huntington Beach House restaurant on the city’s beach.
Her answer: “Soon.”
Soon is coming fast for Whitney and her Prjkt Restaurant Group team: Huntington Beach House is scheduled to open this month, just in time for the expected influx of summertime beachgoers coming to enjoy sand, sea and cuisine.
Whitney knows she already has a hit on her hands, and she’s no stranger to success. Whitney was the founder and owner of Sea Legs Wine Bar, a popular Surf City restaurant that was less than a mile from her new project. Whitney garnered numerous accolades for Sea Legs, including multiple Golden Foodie Awards for Best California Cuisine.
She opened a second restaurant, Sea Salt Woodfire Grill, adjacent to Sea Legs, in 2016.
You’d think that would keep Whitney plenty busy, but in 2016 Whitney submitted a bid to the California Department of Parks and Recreation to create four upscale concessions at Bolsa Chica State Beach: SeaLegs at the Beach, Pacific Kitchen, SeaSalt Beachside Burger and Beach City Provisions.
Much to her surprise, she beat out more than a dozen competitors and won the bid.
Doubling Up
“When I got the opportunity to bid on Bolsa Chica, I had never done anything like that,” said Whitney, speaking to the Business Journal while sitting on an Adirondack chair arranged on the sand next to Huntington Beach House. “There were four different locations, and when we won all four, that was the big ‘oh my gosh’ moment. We put everything into all four concepts.”
Sea Legs at the Beach quickly gained a following for its cuisine, ambiance and live music. Now, it’s almost a beachside institution.
“We were so lucky with the success of Sea Legs—that spearheaded our growth,” Whitney said. “No one had ever done this before. Nobody had a beach club on the water. We trailblazed and built a customer experience.”
Despite the success of Sea Legs Wine Bar and Sea Salt Wood Grill, Whitney reluctantly closed those two restaurants in 2019 because she had bigger plans for another collection of state-owned beach spots.
After another winning bid of 2019, Prjkt (pronounced “project”) inked a 10-year agreement, in partnership with the California State Park System, for three new beach concessions and a re-envisioned beach rental kiosk along a stretch of Huntington State Beach from Beach Boulevard to
Brookhurst Street.
Under terms of the deal, 10% of the concessions sales at the company’s spots go back to the state park system. Prjkt is reportedly putting in close to $1 million in renovations for its four newest locations.
June Opening
The latest collection of beachside locations are set to soon begin operations to the public, starting this month with Huntington Beach House.
“This is the most incredibly robust opportunity,” Whitney stated. “We’re revitalizing not one but two beaches with eight concessions, plus all the food and beverage for festivals, weddings, volleyball—all on this beach. To pull it off, we had to take on the best of the best in the industry.”
One of those was Whitney’s friend Vinnie Capizzi, who has worked with Coachella and Stage Coach festivals, among others.
“She said ‘I’m not letting you say no, this is an opportunity, it’s in your wheelhouse,’” Capizzi said.
“This is a legacy project, and one person cannot get it done,” Whitney said. “Collectively we will get it done. We are changing the way you play here, but it does not stop with concessions. We will create events or support events that come here.”
According to Whitney, the State Parks wanted to enhance the area’s recreation by offering an elevated concession experience. She believes her company has overdelivered on that expectation.
â– Located on the sand at Beach Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway, the Huntington Beach House will offer everything from burgers and salads to brunch items such as pancake and sausage skewers and Fruity Pebble French toast sticks.
Fire pits, sand boxes, and a 120-foot seated counter over the boardwalk will welcome diners into a “Golden State of Mind,” which is the eatery’s tagline.
â– Opening this fall is Sahara’s Sandbar at Magnolia Street and Pacific Coast Highway, a beachside destination for pizza, beer, and shaved ice. It’s named after Whitney’s daughter, Sahara, who grew up in the restaurants.
â– California Fork and Spoon, opening in 2022, will have a Redwood-carved California State Bear sculpture in front of the Brookhurst and Pacific Coast Highway concession. The menu will feature classic California foods such as el pastor tacos, burgers, tri-tip sandwiches, fried soft shell crab, and clam chowder in a bread bowl.
â– SandBox, located at Newland Street and Pacific Coast Highway, features a kiosk for electric bike rentals, surfboard vending machines, firewood vending machines, as well as cold beverages and snacks, and beach necessities.
“When it came to bidding on this beach, we had the winning team and the winning format to be able to create experiences along this beach that were just as unique as Bolsa,” Whitney said.
Learn more at prjktgroup.com.
