The first phase of the $4 billion-plus OCVibe project in Anaheim, a mixed-use entertainment and lifestyle hub backed by the Samueli family, is on track to bring fresh, dynamic culinary experiences to the community.
“A big part of the phase one openings is the dining options,” Corey Gresham, the project’s senior vice president of hospitality, told the Business Journal.
Orange County can expect the initial lineup of merchants to open by 2026, including another outlet for Newport Beach’s critically acclaimed A Restaurant. The restaurant is owned by River Jetty Restaurant Group, founded by video director and producer McG and business partner Jordan Otterbein. A Restaurant will be among the first five dining spots to launch within the nearly 100-acre site surrounding the Anaheim Regional Transportation Center (ARTIC) and Honda Center.
“Here we’re building a nightlife around sports and entertainment, especially on the entertainment side, [by bringing] in many, many more concert venues and great restaurants and making it a walking district,” Henry Samueli announced at an unveiling event held in late September.
A Restaurant will be accompanied by the 50,000-square-foot Market Hall, a culinary innovation space that will take over the first two floors of The Weave office building and open the same year. The Weave is currently under construction in the stadium area, according to Cushman & Wakefield’s third-quarter office report.
The Samuelis also plan to revive the Golden Bear nightclub, originally located in Huntington Beach, as one of three entertainment venues that will be built in the downtown area.
The historic concert hall, with a 300-person capacity, will open during the second phase of the project in 2027. The third phase and final phase of OCVibe will launch in 2028 and 2029, respectively.
Two multi-level parking structures are also under construction with the remaining restaurants, concert venues, parks, office and residential options still being finalized.
“To us, it’s a great investment in this community and hopefully a transformative investment that will attract people of all ages to come and have fun here,” Samueli said.
The OCVibe investment is currently projected to generate more than $10 million per year in direct revenue for Anaheim.
Booking for Restaurant Row
Gresham told the Business Journal that he is meeting with potential operators to fill the remaining four restaurant spots that will anchor OCVibe’s culinary scene.
A Restaurant is one of two locations that will sit alongside the Honda Center’s main entrance, while three other restaurant spaces will be across the way in an area called Restaurant Row.
“It would be really cool to bring something to OCVibe that our community doesn’t have exposure to,” Gresham said.
The team is considering restaurant groups hailing from Texas, Chicago and New York. Gresham said the project organizers are curating a variety of partners who “must have staying power and patience.”
The right ones will be “patient enough to wait for phase one and also steady enough to run for the next 10 years or more,” he said.
This includes the tenant roster for the neighboring Market Hall concept that will house 21 chef-driven concepts in plug-and-play food stalls along with six themed bars and lounges and three private event spaces.
The food hall will debut chefs looking to launch their careers, according to Gresham.
“Opening your restaurant is hard and takes a lot of funds, and [this is] a low barrier to entry for talented, young, up-and-coming chefs. They can come in for a reasonable price, we build it out for them and then they can do what they love doing, and hopefully that launches their career into a brick-and-mortar restaurant,” he said.
The 21 spaces will keep tenants on one- to two-year contracts to have concepts on rotation, Gresham added. Five chef teams have already committed.
“I think [there’s] going to be something for everybody,” Gresham said. “I’m just working hard and making sure I get your favorite restaurant here, or something that will be your favorite.”
