A sophisticated new entrance with a faux-turf courtyard now welcomes shoppers at the Brea Mall, part of an evolving expansion at the north Orange County retail center.
Inside a new wing of stores are open, including Alo Yoga, Garage, The Alley, Tumi and Uniqlo.
Still to come, the Rivian Automotive showroom and anothers.
Simon, the mall owner, has been working on a multimillion-dollar expansion, bulldozing the shuttered Sears and pushing the shopping experience to an outdoor-oriented village setting.
When it’s all said and done, shoppers will have a host of new restaurants and shops to visit. The new lineup will include the restaurants North Italia and Kalbi Social (barbeque), plus dumpling favorite Din Tai Fung, Zara (fashion), Dick’s Sporting Goods, the luxury gym Life Time, Philz Coffee and HeyTea.
Who is T&T Supermarket?
The developer behind River Street Marketplace in San Juan Capistrano has broken ground on The Canopy at Great Park, a 12-acre retail and dining destination in the Great Park Neighborhoods.
The star anchor at the 90,000-square-feet center will be T&T Supermarket, an Asian grocery chain based in Canada. The Irvine location will be T&T’s first store in Southern California.
“Ever since we announced our U.S. entry, we have received an overwhelming number of requests to open in Southern California — especially in Irvine,” said Tina Lee, CEO of T&T and a UCLA alumna.
T&T is expected to open in late 2026. The chain has 38 stores in Canada, and opened its first U.S. locations in Washington state and San Jose.
Here’s what you can expect:
First, expect a long wait to get in. The chain, which opened its first U.S. store in December, saw lines wrapped around the 76,000-square feet store for days in Bellevue, Washington.
—Exotic food: How many types of mushrooms can you buy? You’ll find many at T&T, with some (think: oyster) sold in large, connected clusters. Some of the seafood comes live (think: crabs, lobster, fish and razor clams). Delicate fruit from Pacific Rim nations is often sold in hard boxes.
—Hot meals, dim sum, and over 150 varieties of Asian baked goods are made daily (Napoleon Portuguese Egg Tarts and Lava Mochi Puffs).
—Lots of cut seafood and sashimi-grade fish.
—Made-to-order street food like Chinese crepes (jian bing) and Taiwanese-style rice rolls.
—Asian spirits (sake, soju, and rice wines) and snacks.
Private label items like pork soup dumplings, Korean kalbi marinade, green onion pancakes and seaweed snacks.
The Canopy will soon take shape in an open field at 7100 Great Park Blvd., not far from the Great Park athletic complex and the big orange balloon.
Ocean Honda has new name, owners
Ocean Honda in San Juan Capistrano has been sold to Jerry Seiner Auto Group, marking the first California acquisition for the Salt Lake City-based company.
Terms of the sale were not disclosed. The deal closed March 31. Ocean Honda also was rebranded as Jerry Seiner Honda.
The team at Jerry Seiner Auto Group said “virtually all management and staff were offered opportunities and stayed.”
The dealership was previously owned by Victory Automotive Group of Canton, Michigan.
Weight-loss clinic opens in Irvine
JumpstartMD, a weight-loss and hormone therapy provider, opened in early February in Irvine, its 14th location in California for the Burlingame-based company.
Founded in 2007 by Sean Bourke, a board-certified doctor specializing in obesity medicine, the company uses the popular GLP-1 and non-GLP-1 weight-loss medications, nutrition counseling and body analysis to track weight loss and muscle preservation.
The company model is membership based, meaning clients pay anywhere fro $99 to $349 monthly for in-person or virtual services. The price of medications is not included in the membership fees, according to the company.
Other services offered include hormone replacement therapy for women going through perimenopause and menopause symptoms; testosterone optimization for men looking to boost energy, muscle tone and libido; vitamin therapy for overall wellness.
JumpstartMD does not accept insurance but it will work with insurance providers on possible reimbursement for its clients.
Address: 6813 Quail Hill Parkway in the Quail Hill Shopping Center. For more details, call 949-371-2134 or go online: jumpstartmd.com/location/irvine
On the move
Adriana Valenzuela has joined SullivanCurtisMonroe Insurance Services in Irvine as a vice president and bond manager. Previously, she managed the Surety Department for Alliant Insurance Services Western offices.
Michael “Mike” Skillman has joined Beacon Pointe Advisors as managing director of Institutional Consulting Services in Newport Beach. Most recently, Skillman was chief executive of Faith Investor Services, a firm he founded in 2021 to provide faith-based exchange-traded funds and wealth management solutions.
On board
William Young, founder and president of the Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly Association, recently joined the board at Meals on Wheels Orange County. He also operates Senior Living Savvy, a consulting agency specializing in elder care facilities; Elder Care Wise, a geriatric management firm; and Forever Young Memory Care.
Milestones
Mark E. Nakano, associate dean of clinics and assistant professor at Marshall B. Ketchum University’s Southern California College of Optometry was named the 2024 Keyperson of the Year by the California Optometric Association. Nakano’s most recently launched the Angels for Sight Vision Clinic in Long Beach, expanding access to care for underserved communities in the area.
Fundraisers
The inaugural ’18 For The Elephants’ charity golf tournament held April 10 at Pelican Hill Golf Course raised $20,000 for the Over and Above Africa’s Elephant preservation initiatives, including the care and relocation of an orphaned baby elephant calf named Joy.
Clarification
The Irvine Unified School Board received $2 million from Irvine Company and the Donald Bren Foundation. The contribution is part of a 20-year, $50 million commitment to the district’s Excellence in Education Enrichment program. In last week’s Status Update, the shared contribution between the two entities was not clear.
Status Update is compiled and written by Business Editor Samantha Gowen. Submit items and high-resolution photos to sgowen@scng.com. Allow at least one week for publication. Items are edited for length and clarity.
