A new upscale grocer at the Irvine Spectrum Center marks another chapter to the largest shopping center in Irvine, and the sixth-largest in Orange County.
A nearly 34,000-square-foot Bristol Farms grocery store opened last month at the center, marking the biggest tenant addition to the 1.2-million-square-foot property since a $200 million expansion near the center’s former Macy’s location wrapped up in 2019.
The grocery store, located next to Cuban restaurant Habana, opened on March 17 after about 18 months of construction. It kicks off a wave of new openings planned this year for the Irvine Co.-owned Spectrum (see story, page 19).
The spot takes over space once occupied by now-defunct Sports Authority and other temporary tenants.
The Irvine Co.-owned shopping center, which counts 175 stores and restaurants, reported a 1.1% boost in taxable sales for the 12 months ending June 30, 2021, to $389.2 million.
Growing Grocers
Grocery stores have been among the best-performing tenants at retail center of all types during the pandemic, specifically grocery-anchored retail concepts, as consumers focused on essential products when shopping in person, and cooked more meals at home.
Shoppers stocking up on goods helped push U.S. grocery sales up 11% in 2020, more than three times the growth seen during the prior two years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The new Bristol Farms location at the Spectrum will feature a variety of amenities—such as a food hall and outdoor patio—that are designed to lure shoppers to the mall for more than just a grocery run.
It will be the Carson-based company’s third OC location, and its largest to date locally. Its Newport Beach location is at Irvine Co.’s Corona del Mar Plaza, down the street from the real estate owner’s Fashion Island center.
Big Leases
Besides Bristol Farms, Sprouts, Amazon Fresh and H Mart were among the most active big-box grocers looking for space in Orange County last year, according to retail data from the local office of CBRE Group Inc.
Irvine Co. early last year announced Korean-American supermarket chain H Mart would open two stores at their properties. Their openings, initially expected by the end of 2021, have been delayed. H Mart officials did not respond to Business Journal inquiries about the status of the Irvine openings, which in total run about 52,000 square feet.
Local First
The new Bristol Farms at the Spectrum is located on the other side of the San Diego (405) Freeway from another specialty grocer, Whole Foods, which opened at Irvine Co.’s Los Olivos Marketplace in 2016.
Dubbed “Bristol Farms Version 3.0,” the Spectrum store aims to be more than just a grocery store, with new components not seen at the Newport Beach and Yorba Linda locations.
During a preview of the store on March 16, Bristol Farms CEO Adam Caldecott said the store will highlight local small businesses and startup brands, and will feature a full-service restaurant as well as more casual food venues.
“This is our lab, where we can push the envelope,” Caldecott told the Business Journal.
The opening comes as Bristol Farms celebrates its 40th anniversary. The company, known for its natural and organic product offerings, now counts 13 Southern California locations.
The Irvine spot will employ about 320 people.
First Food Hall
The most notable amenity setting the new market apart from the company’s other OC stores is a seven-venue food hall, including the full-service Viaggio Pizzeria restaurant and Pikapika, the company’s “sushi robot” concept.
“So much of what we do is driven by a genuine passion for good food,” Caldecott said. The chief executive has been with the company since 1995, having worked his way up from behind the meat counter to working directly under the original owners.
Local brands will be highlighted, such as Irvine-based Good Culture (see story, page 10) and Fullerton-based Nasoya tofu, both previously featured this year in the Business Journal.
“My team’s totally looking for the little guy,” Caldecott said.
