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  10-year-old Orange County food truck, Crepes Bonaparte, to finally park at permanent location. (Courtesy Crepes Bonaparte)

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  10-year-old Orange County food truck, Crepes Bonaparte, to finally park at permanent location. (Courtesy Crepes Bonaparte)

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  10-year-old Orange County food truck, Crepes Bonaparte, to finally park at permanent location. (Courtesy Crepes Bonaparte)

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  10-year-old Orange County food truck, Crepes Bonaparte, to finally park at permanent location. (Courtesy Crepes Bonaparte)

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  Project Juice is delivering ready to blend smoothies. (Courtesy Project Juice)

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  Brewheim is coming to Anaheim near Angel Stadium. (Rendering Courtesy Brewheim.)

When Christian and Danielle Murcia launched their first food truck 10 years ago, only a handful of restaurants on wheels were circulating in Orange County – Kogi BBQ and Piaggio on Wheels.

Dozens of trucks have come and gone – some giving up the road to park their concepts at permanent locations. Others fell flat, never to be seen again.

Over the years, the husband-and-wife team has taken note.

And, now they’re ready to take the plunge with a brick-and-mortar version of their French-inspired crepe business. Crepes Bonaparte is opening next month in downtown Fullerton.

Danielle Murcia said she and her husband were not actively pursuing a location, having built a strong business model with their two trucks and catering business. They also operate Curbside Bites, which books food trucks for special events.

But, the opportunity to take over a new space at the corner of Harbor and Commonwealth next to JP23 BBQ was too good to pass up.

“We’re really excited,” said Danielle Murcia said during a recent phone interview.

For the Murcias, parking their concept in Fullerton is the perfect next step for them. The couple grew up in Fullerton, meeting at Troy High School. They also launched Crepes Bonaparte as a catering business based in Fullerton in 2008, two years before joining the food truck craze.

The Murcias join a fray of popular food trucks that have expanded their concepts at shopping centers and food halls including The Lime Truck, The Viking Truck, The Burnt Truck, Dogzilla and Seabirds.

Unlike others, Danielle said she and her husband don’t plan to give up their food truck. She believes that would be detrimental to the brand they’ve cultivated for more than a decade.

“We’ll keep food trucks running full steam ahead,” she said.

In the meantime, she’s been busy putting together the final decor details at the tiny 1,000-square-foot eatery. The restaurant will maintain the same classic “clean” white look of the truck with a splash of red. The counter-service eatery will feature stainless steel countertops and red barstools. As with the food truck, employees will wear black and white uniforms with black berets.

The menu features the same sweet and savory crepes found on the truck, with the addition of French wine, beer and espresso beverages.

The restaurant, at 115 S. Harbor, is slated to open March 1.

L.A. craft beer coming to DTSA

Congregation Ale House, the gastropub turned brewery with outposts in Long Beach, Pasadena and Azusa, is slated to open its first Orange County location this spring.

The downtown Santa Ana location is under construction and awaiting various approvals, said Congregation founder and chief operating officer Travis Ensling. The restaurant will offer the same menu as the other Los Angeles area grillpubs, plus 23 taps.

Of those, six to seven will be dedicated to Congregation brews, while the rest are reserved for guest taps. Congregation initially started as a gastropub; it began brewing when it opened its Azusa location.

Ensling said he’s hoping to open the Santa Ana location this spring. A 5th location is in the works for Southern California, he added. The Santa Ana bar and restaurant, at 201 N. Broadway, is going into the space previously occupied by Kutsi Cocina and Memphis.

Smoothies at your doorstep

Project Juice, whose offices are in Orange County and the Bay Area, has launched a delivery for its smoothie program.

The smoothies can be ordered and shipped for free through the website Sub-Zero Superfoods. The commitment-free subscription service delivers “ready-to-blend” smoothies. The prices are: $71.92 for an 8 pack (smoothie or bowl); $95.88 for a 12 pack and $167.76 for a 24-pack.

San Francisco-based Project Juice, which merged with Southern California-based Ritual Wellness in 2015, also delivers its cold-pressed juices through third party delivery operators.

Barbecue comes to downtown Anaheim

Jav’s BBQ is expected opened last inside the MAKE building. The historic site is across the street from the Anaheim Packing House. The eatery serves Southern smoked meats and scratch sides. Owner and founder Javier Gomez said the meats are cooked “low and slow” in an all-wood pit for no less than 12 hours.

Meats include: tri-tip, brisket, pulled pork, chicken and ribs.

Jav’s joins other MAKE tenants Unsung Brewing and Pali Wine Co. Address: 500 S. Anaheim Blvd.

Sundried Tomato owners to open Mexican concept

The operators behind Sundried Tomato American Bistros and Catering in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano are opening a new Mexican restaurant.

Bueno Bueno Mexican Kitchen will be a fast-casual eatery “designed to offer contemporary Mexican cuisine in a delightful and lively environment,” the company said.

Managing Partner Rob Quest said the restaurant was inspired by family-style meals shared by the catering staff in the late morning. The meals were almost always Mexican dishes made with the highest quality ingredients, Quest said.

“Everything is put onto a butcher block table, and whoever is around is always welcome. We noticed that vendors and sales people started to time their visits around this meal,” Quest said in a statement. “The food is so good we always say bueno bueno. Now were very excited to launch this concept as its own restaurant and share it with everyone.”

The menu also features agua frescas, tequila and mescal-based craft cocktails.

The restaurant has a tequila sipping bar and a tortilla making station that is visible to diners. Bueno Bueno is slated to open Mar. 5 for lunch and dinner and breakfast specials on weekends. Address: 26762 Verdugo St., in San Juan Capistrano.

More Craft Beer in Anaheim

Brewheim Brewing Co. is another new brewery slated to land in Anaheim. The brewery, at 1931 E. Wright Circle, is near Angel Stadium. Multiple breweries are in the area including Noble Ale Works, Golden Road Brewing, Karl Strauss, Legends Craft Brewery, and Towne Park Brewery & Taproom.

The 16,500-square foot brewery plans to offer about 32 beers on tap. Owners Dan Ward and Eric Ferguson, along with head brewer Derek Wasak, plan to serve standard IPAs, pale ales, hazy IPAs, hop-forward session ales and barrel-aged sours.

Brewheim is expected to open in late spring.

Not many fine dining chefs openly admit they want to take on KFC.

But, then again, Chef Ryan Adams is not your typical Laguna Beach chef. Adams, who lives in Santa Ana, has been serving fried chicken at a monthly Sunday Supper at Three Seventy Common Kitchen+Drink for nearly seven years.

He uses his grandmother’s dry cure method and serves the pieces in a bucket with all the fixings. On most Sundays, he goes through 200 pounds of free-range chicken.  Now, he plans to bring that elevated fried chicken experience to a wider audience with Buttermilk, a counter-service restaurant coming soon to Old Towne Orange.

Adams, a free-spirited, brazen chef,  is unabashed about his intentions.

“My idea is to go after The Colonel and have a better experience,” Adams said during a phone interview this week.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken is opening next month in the space previously occupied by LinX, an artisan sausage house that recently closed in Old Towne Orange near Wahoo’s Fish Taco. Adams said he’s been toying with the idea for years of turning the wildly successful Sunday Supper event into a “fine casual” restaurant.

He’s been scouting locations, including Orange. When the LinX space came open, he said he jumped at the chance of opening a restaurant in the historic district, where he used to live years ago. He also launched his career as the opening chef at Citrus City Grille, a premium casual dining restaurant in downtown Orange.

“I’ve always loved Old Towne. I’ve always felt at home there,” said the Floral Park resident.

Buttermilk will join a handful of new restaurants entering Old Towne in recent months. A block away, Los Angeles-based Urth Caffe is coming soon. Other newcomers include Pandor Boulangerie & Cafe and The Wall Restaurant.

Adams said he plans to modernize and brighten the near 1,000-square-foot restaurant space. He said he’s going for a “modern farmhouse look” with white walls.

With other premium fried chicken concepts opening in Orange County recently such as Crack Shack, Two Birds and Rooster Republic, Adams knows he faces stiff competition.

He hopes to differentiate himself by offering a simple, limited menu of bone-in traditional fried chicken, and fried and honey roasted chicken sandwiches. Beer and wine will also be offered. But he’s not looking at being a bar concept like Richard Blais’ Crack Shack, which opened late last year in Costa Mesa to snaking lines. The fast casual concept offers a full bar with cocktails, as well as bone-in chicken, chicken sandwiches and salads.

When Adams opened Three Seventy Common in downtown Laguna Beach in 2011, he was one of the first chefs in Orange County to bring back the Sunday Supper. Back then, he called it a Sunday Social, where diners could eat family style. He featured steak, salmon and fried chicken on different Sundays.

Each featured comfort food did well, but the “fried chicken crushed it,” Adams said.

Due to popular demand, he made it a permanent monthly event on the last Sunday of the month.

“Chef Ryan Adams’ fried chicken at 370 Common is exponentially superior to KFC, served family style with phenomenal mashed potatoes and gravy, along with fresh green beans, kale salad, coleslaw and leafy greens braised with pork belly. Chicken night comes only once a month at 370 Common, so you really must plan ahead,” Register restaurant critic Brad A. Johnson wrote when naming Adams’ fried chicken to his best bucket list.

At Buttermilk, he plans to serve the same recipe along with side dishes such as smoky braised greens, mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, and succotash. He also plans to serve an alternative preparation: honey roasted chicken. This recipe is based on a family-style dinner he shares with his crew the Monday following Sunday Supper.

His chefs take the leftover chicken, pat it dry and bake it. They baste it with spicy honey to create a caramelized skin. It’s always been a special meal shared by his staff, but now he’s offering it to the public at Buttermilk. The menu will also feature fried chicken nuggets, seasonal pies, chorizo deviled eggs, and smothered tater tots.

Prices for the bone-in chicken, available for takeout, will be $12.95 for a 3-piece plate, $17.95 for a 5-piece small bucket and $29.95 for a 10-piece large bucket. Each plate or bucket comes with two sides and jalapeno cheddar corn bread.

Creating a fast casual concept is not new to Adams. He previously announced plans to open Parallel Pizzeria in Dana Point. The restaurant, which is coming to the renovated The Row retail center, will feature New Haven-style pizza cooked in a charcoal burning oven.

He and his business partner James Nunn are combining New Haven-style pizza crust with West Coast ingredients. That opening, however, has been delayed. Adams said he is not sure when it will open later this year.

In the meantime, he expects Buttermilk to be a turnkey operation. He plans to open the 24-seat eatery in March. It will be open late to accommodate midnight cravings from local Chapman University students.

In fact, Adams has created a special menu item available only after 11 p.m.: The Mop. It is fried chicken sandwich topped with cheddar cheese, bacon, a fried egg and white gravy.

“It’s such a gut bomb,” he said.

If Buttermilk takes off, Adams and his investors (separate from Parallel Pizzeria) would like to open more locations in the future.

Buttermilk will be open for lunch, dinner and late night dining. Address: 238 W. Chapman Ave.

But for Martin, there’s one key difference.

He’s not a professional chef — yet.

He’s in high school.

Martin, 16, is junior at the critically acclaimed Orange County School of the Arts in Santa Ana. The Villa Park resident is enrolled in the school’s award-winning Culinary Arts & Hospitality Conservatory. This week, the talented chef-in-training is putting his knife skills to the test against three other contestants competing for a $25,000 scholarship prize on “The Rachael Ray Show.”

Martin, who’s been cooking since age 4, is among four finalists competing in Ray’s first-ever “Cook Your Way to Culinary School” competition. To secure a spot in the finale, Martin had to submit an audition video showcasing his passion for the culinary arts.

Ray’s producers gave him a shot after learning of his impressive resume. The culinary student works for renowned French chef Pascal Olhats, spent last summer training in France, and competed at age 14 on FYI’s “Man vs. Child: Chef Showdown.”

If that’s not enough, he runs his own catering company, and organized his own pop-up restaurant, Lock & Key, last year.

Due to confidentiality agreements, Martin cannot reveal the outcome of Friday’s show. He traveled in late January to New York to compete alongside three other finalists: Nick Capone, a 17-year-old high school senior from Denville, N.J.; Jules Esposito, an 18-year-old high school senior from Wallingford, Conn.; and Alyssa Webster, a 17-year-old high school junior from Fresno.

During the show, the contestants prepared a dish using ingredients they shopped for within a strict budget. They cooked in front of a live audience and were judged by “Top Chef’s” Gail Simmons and Chef Curtis Stone. Here’s what Martin had to say during an interview with the Register this week:

Q: What did you do for your video audition to get noticed?
A: It was a five-minute ​video showing them some basic techniques. I seared a steak, roasted mushrooms, made compound herb butter, and showed some knife work.

​Q: I understand you were selected from hundreds of submissions. What else do you think caught the eye of the producers?
A: I told them I’d be great for the show because I have TV experience, and how I’ve been getting involved in the whole (culinary and hospitality) industry.

Q: What was it like to meet Rachael Ray?
A: S​he was very fun. She’s definitely energetic and enthusiastic about everything. She runs a tight ship.

Q: Who was the most critical judge, Ray, Curtis Stone or Gail Simmons?
A: Curtis had the most critiques about the food.

Q: What can you say about the actual competition and how it differed from other shows you’ve competed in?
A: Unlike “Man vs. Child,” I was competing against three other kids for a grand prize, not just bragging rights. It was more intense, and a difficult challenge because of the way the show is structured in front of a live audience.

Q: You have a lot of culinary training for being so young. Did you pull from your experiences for this competition?
A: Yes. All of that training and muscle memory helps when anything goes wrong. Still, the time constraints, people yelling at you and watching the clock — it made it difficult to focus.

Q: No matter the outcome, each runner up gets some prize money to help with college. What is your dream school?
A: ​I want to pursue hotel and restaurant management programs. I don’t want to go to a culinary arts program because I’ve essentially received that same education at OCSA.

Show Details

​The competition airs Friday, Feb. 16, locally at 2 p.m. on KCOP, Ch. 13. Leading up to Friday’s show, each contestant will be featured in a short segment on “The Rachael Ray Show.” Martin will be featured Thursday, Feb. 15.

A fast-growing boutique breakfast chain in San Diego is racing north to Orange County.

Breakfast Republic, which has seven locations in the San Diego area, is opening its first Orange County restaurant later this year in Irvine. It’s replacing the Veggie Grill at University Center near UC Irvine.

“Our lease expired after 10 years. We were not able to reach a new lease agreement with the landlord, The Irvine Co.,” Veggie Grill said in a statement. The fast-casual vegan chain, which opened at the center in late 2006, will close end of May, the company said.

Breakfast Republic is a full-service concept by the hospitality firm Rise & Shine Restaurant Group. The first location opened in San Diego in 2015 and quickly grew its fan base with innovative breakfast items such as shrimp & ricotta frittata, mashed potato omelet, Jurassic pork eggs Benedict, Oreo cookie pancakes and breakfast bacon mac ‘n cheese.

The restaurant’s decor is just as whimsical. Waiting room chairs are egg-shaped, walls are covered with rooster artwork and light fixtures look like whisks. The Irvine location will seat roughly 100 diners in a 2,450-square-foot restaurant.

It’s slated to open in the fall at 4213 Campus Drive next to Trader Joe’s.

San Diego-based Rise & Shine also operates three Fig Tree Café restaurants in San Diego.

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  Through Valentine’s Day, fans can “profess their love to their favorite Big Mac burgers on Twitter by writing vows with #BlingMacContest and @McDonalds,” the company said. The most comedic, witty and romantic tweet will be awarded the Bling Mac. (Courtesy McDonald’s)

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  LinX opened Feb. 7. 2013 in Orange. The gourmet sausage eatery closed recently. (Register file photo)

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  Creole Stuffed Crab with browned butter lump crab sauce is served at Roux in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Festive with warm tones and vibrant splashes of Mardi Gras colors and beads accent Roux in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  LinX opened Feb. 7. 2013 in Orange. The gourmet sausage eatery closed recently. (Register file photo)

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  The Original Big Mac debuted in 1967. (Photo courtesy McDonald’s)

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  SteelCraft Garden Grove will be similar to the cargo containers food hall in Long Beach. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  SteelCraft Garden Grove will include artisanal retailers and restaurants selling goods from cargo containers as long as 40 feet on a 1.8-acre lot behind City Hall. (Rendering courtesy Studio One Eleven)

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  Through Valentine’s Day, fans can “profess their love to their favorite Big Mac burgers on Twitter by writing vows with #BlingMacContest and @McDonalds,” the company said. The most comedic, witty and romantic tweet will be awarded the Bling Mac. (Courtesy McDonald’s)

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  The fashion boutique Aritzia opened Feb. 2 at South Coast Plaza. The Canadian brand was founded in 1984 and has more than 75 locations in North America, including Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, New York, San Francisco and Chicago. (Photo courtesy of Aritzia)

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  The fashion boutique Aritzia opened Feb. 2 at South Coast Plaza. The Canadian brand was founded in 1984 and has more than 75 locations in North America, including Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, New York, San Francisco and Chicago. (Photo courtesy of Aritzia)

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  Alexander McQueen will open a a store at South Coast Plaza by late spring 2018. Alexander McQueen’s designer and creative director Sarah Burton designed Kate Middleton’s wedding dress before she became Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and wife to Prince William. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

SteelCraft Garden Grove reveals tenants

Orange County’s first shipping container food hall has revealed eight of its food tenants including another Southern California outpost for Long Beach-based Beachwood Brewing Co.

The award-winning brewery will have a satellite taproom at the project, which is being developed behind Garden Grove City Hall. SteelCraft Garden Grove is the second shipping container development for partners Howard CDM and SteelCraft. The two Long Beach companies developed and opened SteelCraft Long Beach in early 2017. Garden Grove’s version will include Dark Horse Coffee Roasters, Renegade Taco, The Chick ‘N Shack (Southeast Asian chicken), The Nest (breakfast), Urban Pie (pizza), Honey & Butter (dessert) and Cauldron Ice Cream.

Each of the roughly 10 counter-service restaurants will be housed in cargo containers — some as long as 40 feet. The developers plan to announce a wine bar and burger concept at a later date.

The rest of the project will consist of containers for restrooms, storage, and upper-level seating.

Since opening last year in Long Beach, SteelCraft has been wildly successful — answering a demand for experiential restaurant developments that cater to millennials. The smaller Long Beach food hall, at 3768 Long Beach Boulevard, includes Smog City Brewing, Pig Pen Delicacy, Waffle Love, Desano Pizza and Steelhead Coffee.

SteelCraft is leasing the lot from the city in a deal that will generate $85,000 in revenue annually. A groundbreaking is slated for March 5.

 3 restaurant closures

Mick’s Karma Bar, a go-to burger joint in Irvine for years, closed in late December. A representative for the burger joint, famous for its ground sirloin steak (hache) burgers, said the owner is hoping to relocate. A reason for the closure was not provided.

Mick’s has won multiple burger awards over the years. Address: 2010 Main St.,Irvine.

Artisan sausage eatery, LinX, recently closed after a five-year run in Old Towne Orange.

A sign posted on the door indicates that the restaurant is looking for a new location. “Keep an eye out for us as we look for new opportunities.”

The fast-casual restaurant opened in February 2013 with a menu developed by Scott Brandon, formerly of The Crow Bar and Kitchen in Corona del Mar. The eatery was nestled in a brick building next to Wahoo’s and enjoyed rave reviews when it first opened for its menu of petite sausages, Belgian fries and craft beer.

After Brandon left, Linx tweaked the menu so it was more approachable. (Some diners had complained that the 4-inch sausages were too small for the price.) The latest menu included burgers, burritos, wraps and salads.

In one of the most bizarre closures I’ve ever seen, Roux Creole Cuisine abruptly shuttered in late January. The owners of the new Laguna Beach bistro could not be reached for comment. However, on its website, the restaurant posted an article from a local community publication stating the restaurant closed temporarily after founding chef Norm Theard quit due to “irreconcilable” differences.

Theard confirmed that he left. “Despite our epic reviews, I received such a lack of support and continuous negativity from the owners. It caused me significant and overwhelming undo stress, so much so that it had affected my health and therefore ended the relationship,” he told the Register in an email.

The closure comes after the bistro won rousing accolades for its chef-driven Creole cuisine. Register restaurant critic Brad A. Johnson named Roux, at 860 Glenneyre St., one of the 10 best new restaurants in Orange County for 2017.  “This quaint, cramped and sexy New Orleans-inspired cafe genuinely captures the joie de vivre of the Big Easy. There is certainly nothing trendy about Creole cooking, yet chef Norm Theard has elevated his hometown cuisine like no one else before him in Orange County,” Johnson wrote.

Grand Big Mac returns

For a limited time, McDonald’s is bringing back the Grand Big Mac and Mac Jr.

The big and petite version’s of the iconic Big Mac made a return last week after first debuting nationwide last year for a limited time. The classic Big Mac contains two beef patties sandwiched between sesame seed buns. The burger is layered with a slice of American cheese, lettuce, onions, pickles and Big Mac sauce. The Grand Mac contains two larger patties equaling one-third pound and two slices of American cheese. The burger is made with slightly larger buns.

The Mac Jr. comes without the extra bun in the middle. On Wednesday, the company launched a Twitter contest tied to its Big Mac. McDonald’s has partnered with a London-based jewelry designer to create an 18-karat  “stackable” ring that looks like a Big Mac. The ring, valued at $12,500, is layered with seven tiers of diamonds and is being called the “Bling Mac,” McDonald’s said.

Through Valentine’s Day, fans can “profess their love to their favorite Big Mac burgers on Twitter by writing vows with #BlingMacContest and @McDonalds,” the company said. The most comedic, witty and romantic tweet will be awarded the Bling Mac.

Retail News

Gorjana is taking over the closed Häagen Dazs space at Fashion Island. The local jewelry shop “features approachable, quality jewelry channeling the chic, breezy style of its Laguna Beach origins,” according to the Irvine Co. Each piece, designed by Gorjana Reidel, is plated in 18-karat gold. Gorjana, pronounced gor-yana, is also slated to open a shop at the Irvine Spectrum Center.

In recent years, Irvine Co. has been busy swapping out older brands for fresher concepts. Here’s what they said about the departure of Häagen Dazs: “We’ve truly enjoyed having Häagen Dazs as part of the Fashion Island family for 25 years and we wish the Häagen Dazs ownership team the absolute best in their future ventures.”

Amazon at University Center is slated to open this month. The pick-up location will incorporate same-day pickup on Amazon purchases and returns.  The 3,150-square-foot brick and mortar space will also have a wall of self-serve Amazon lockers.

Amazon Prime or Amazon Student Prime subscribers will get the “extra benefit of faster delivery for certain items.”

New at SCP

Two big fashion names — Alexander McQueen and Givenchy — will join South Coast Plaza by late spring.

Alexander McQueen’s designer and creative director Sarah Burton designed Kate Middleton’s wedding dress before she became Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and wife to Prince William, Duke of Cambridge.

The London-based brand founded by Lee Alexander McQueen in 1992 is part of Kering, a global luxury group. McQueen died in 2010.

The Paris-based Givenchy was founded in 1952 by Hubert de Givenchy and is part of the luxury conglomerate LVMH. The haute couture dresses of Givenchy are often seen on the Oscar red carpets. Madonna wore an edgy Egyptian Givenchy creation for her Super Bowl halftime show in 2012. Its menswear line is popular with rappers like Jay Z and Kanye West.

The Alexander McQueen boutique will be located on level 2 in the Nordstrom Wing. The Givenchy boutique will be located on level 2 near Jewel Court.

Also new to SCP is the fashion boutique Aritzia, which opened Feb. 2 at South Coast Plaza. The Canadian brand was founded in 1984 and has more than 75 locations in North America, including Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, New York, San Francisco and Chicago.

In a bit of a shocker, the most heavily requested pizzas are from a casual dining chain best known for its customized burger menu: Stacked. The Huntington Beach location logs the  most pie orders through UberEats in Orange County, the delivery operator said.

The rest of the top 5, in order of popularity include: Johnny’s Saloon in Huntington Beach, Brizio’s Pizza in Santa Ana. Augustino’s in Garden Grove, and Perry’s Pizza in Huntington Beach.

Paul Motenko, founder of Southern California-based STACKED, said he’s not surprised by the results. The chain is all-in when it comes to “embracing” the demand for at-home delivery of restaurant meals. He said UberEats is among several third-party delivery operators each of his five restaurants work with.

“Our service area is like Mission Control,” Motenko said of the delivery tablets set up at each of the chain’s five restaurants.

Stacked’s allows customers to order and pay for their food using table-side tablets. They sell burgers, flatbreads, salads, and shakes. Motenko, a former executive at Huntington Beach-based BJ’s Restaurants, said delivery orders are popular at Stacked because diners can customize every pizza.

UberEats is celebrating the “pizza day” by offering new customers a discount at checkout.  On orders of $15 or more, new UberEats users can enter the promotional code “PIZZADAY” to receive $10 off at checkout. The deal is valid Friday, Feb. 9 in the following delivery regions: Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego.

The award-winning brewery will have a satellite taproom at the project, which is being developed behind Garden Grove City Hall. SteelCraft Garden Grove is the second shipping container development for partners Howard CDM and SteelCraft. The two Long Beach companies developed and opened SteelCraft Long Beach in early 2017. Garden Grove’s version will include Dark Horse Coffee Roasters, Renegade Taco, The Chick ‘N Shack (Southeast Asian chicken), The Nest (breakfast), Urban Pie (pizza), Honey & Butter (dessert) and Cauldron Ice Cream.

Each of the roughly 10 counter-service restaurants will be housed in cargo containers — some as long as 40 feet. The developers plan to announce a wine bar and burger concept at a later date.

The rest of the project will consist of containers for restrooms, storage, and upper level seating.

Since opening last year in Long Beach, SteelCraft has been wildly successful — answering a demand for experiential restaurant developments that cater to millennials. The smaller Long Beach food hall, at 3768 Long Beach Blvd., includes Smog City Brewing, Pig Pen Delicacy, Waffle Love, Desano Pizza and Steelhead Coffee.

SteelCraft is leasing the lot from the city, a deal that will generate $85,000 in revenue annually.  A groundbreaking is slated for March 5.

As consumers demand customization, convenience and speed, hundreds of restaurants across the country have adopted third-party delivery operators to satisfy a growing niche of foodies who refuse to leave their couches to enjoy dinner.

Laurent Vrignaud of Moulin in Newport Beach was among them.

Within a year of opening his French cafe in 2014, he began using DoorDash to deliver Moulin’s bistro menu of baguette sandwiches, rotisserie chicken and cold salads. Eventually, other delivery companies (each requiring its own tablet or iPad to process orders) followed: Amazon Restaurants, Postmates, UberEats, Eat24.

“The next thing you know my restaurant looks like an Apple Store,” the colorful Frenchman said of the plethora of tablets lined up near his cash register.

This year, Vrignaud said he’s going cold turkey. In the months leading to the new year, he weaned Moulin off every delivery service. This month, he plans to launch an in-house online ordering system for takeout orders.

Ultimately, he said each operator didn’t meet his standards for excellence. Many of the drivers were constantly tardy. Some were no-shows, prompting his staff to call customers to explain why their steak and fries were still sitting at the takeout counter.

“We’ve had stuff sit here for two hours,” said Vrignaud, who routinely speaks to his customers in French.

Delivery operators also take a big commission – anywhere from 18 to 30 percent, he said. That’s not a lucrative scenario for restaurants, whose margins are already razor thin.

So why even participate?

Analyst firm Cowen and Co. projects the online food delivery sector to grow from $43 billion in 2017 to $76 billion in 2022.

Most restaurant owners want a part of the action. They say delivery brings brand awareness to new customers. It also makes sense for fast-food and fast-casual brands who are accustomed to delivering meals in volume.

Convenience is also a huge factor for diners who can’t be bothered to eat out, or who are in a rush to grab a quick meal.

The latter drives Vrignaud crazy.  Delivery, he realized, runs counter to the relaxed Paris cafe experience he is trying to sell.

“Consumers are so willing to give up quality for convenience. Try that with French people,” he said. “No one is doing delivery in Paris.”

After a successful run in the action-sports industry, Vrignaud opened Moulin in Newport Beach in 2014. He wanted to open a cafe that replicated the food, service and atmosphere of his childhood home – the Parisian hilltop district of Montmartre.

Everything in the Newport Beach and Laguna Beach cafes are authentic and French-inspired – from the wicker bistro chairs to the flaky pastries. Menu items are made with scratch sauces, house-cured ham, fresh baked bread and imported French ingredients. Even the bottled water and wine served at Moulin are French.

Francophiles in Orange County have come to love the relaxed European experience.

And, that’s the point, Vrignaud said. “I want people to slow down.”

But be warned: If you come in to grab your brown takeout bag, don’t be surprised if the ever-blunt but charming restaurateur shares his ethos from behind the counter.

“You made it all the way to Paris, and you’re going to eat at your computer.”

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  10-year-old Orange County food truck, Crepes Bonaparte, to finally park at permanent location. (Courtesy Crepes Bonaparte)

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  10-year-old Orange County food truck, Crepes Bonaparte, to finally park at permanent location. (Courtesy Crepes Bonaparte)

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  10-year-old Orange County food truck, Crepes Bonaparte, to finally park at permanent location. (Courtesy Crepes Bonaparte)

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  10-year-old Orange County food truck, Crepes Bonaparte, to finally park at permanent location. (Courtesy Crepes Bonaparte)

When Christian and Danielle Murcia launched their first food truck 10 years ago, only a handful of restaurants on wheels were circulating in Orange County – Kogi BBQ and Piaggio on Wheels.

Dozens of trucks have come and gone – some giving up the road to park their concepts at permanent locations. Others fell flat, never to be seen again.

Over the years, the husband-and-wife team has taken note.

And, now they’re ready to take the plunge with a brick-and-mortar version of their French-inspired crepe business. Crepes Bonaparte is opening next month in downtown Fullerton.

Danielle Murcia said she and her husband were not actively pursuing a location, having built a strong business model with their two trucks and catering business. They also operate Curbside Bites, which books food trucks for special events.

But, the opportunity to take over a new space at the corner of Harbor and Commonwealth next to JP23 BBQ was too good to pass up.

“We’re really excited,” said Danielle Murcia said during a recent phone interview.

For the Murcias, parking their concept in Fullerton is the perfect next step for them. The couple grew up in Fullerton, meeting at Troy High School. They also launched Crepes Bonaparte as a catering business based in Fullerton in 2008, two years before joining the food truck craze.

The Murcias join a fray of popular food trucks that have expanded their concepts at shopping centers and food halls including The Lime Truck, The Viking Truck, The Burnt Truck, Dogzilla and Seabirds.

Unlike others, Danielle said she and her husband don’t plan to give up their food truck. She believes that would be detrimental to the brand they’ve cultivated for more than a decade.

“We’ll keep food trucks running full steam ahead,” she said.

In the meantime, she’s been busy putting together the final decor details at the tiny 1,000-square-foot eatery. The restaurant will maintain the same classic “clean” white look of the truck with a splash of red. The counter-service eatery will feature stainless steel countertops and red barstools. As with the food truck, employees will wear black and white uniforms with black berets.

The restaurant, at 115 S. Harbor, is slated to open March 1.

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  Carl’s Jr. is now selling mini burgers. (Courtesy Carl’s Jr.)

Doughnuts become cupcakes

Golden Donut in Westminster is closed.

The shop is now leased by Smallcakes Cupcakery and Creamery, according to a sign on the window. Smallcakes could not be reached for comment. According to its website, the cupcake chain has 200 shops in multiple states and consumers were buzzing about it after it appeared on Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars.”

The chain, which is expanding through franchising, also plans to open Southern California locations in Fullerton, El Segundo and Los Angeles. The Westminster store is in the same center as Vons at 16476 Beach Blvd.

Freshii at Target closes

Freshii, a Toronto-based sandwich and salad chain, has closed its location inside a Target in Irvine.

It’s unclear why the storefront, located at the Crossroads shopping center, closed. An employee answering the phone this week said Starbucks has expanded into the space.

Target representatives did not return multiple requests for comment. The chain, which recently reported good holiday sales, is attempting a turnaround by focusing on digital sales and store makeovers. By 2020, Target plans to remodel 1,000 stores.

Ho Sum Bistro

About a year and half after a fire forced Ho Sum Bistro to close for repairs, the restaurant has finally reopened. Ed O’Neill reopened the bistro on Jan. 15 at 3112 Newport Boulevard.

Free froyo day at Yogurtland

Yogurtland shops throughout Southern California are celebrating International Frozen Yogurt Day with a freebie deal Tuesday, Feb. 6.

Customers can stop by any participating Yogurtland to get a free 5 ounce serving from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Coinciding with the giveaway is the introduction of two new flavor made in collaboration with The Hershey Company: Chocolate Malt Ball Ice Cream made with Whoppers and Chocolate Wafer Bar Frozen Yogurt made with Kit Kats.

“Guests can fill their cup as much as they like, there is no limit, and they can enjoy all 16 flavors including froyo, ice cream and toppings,” a Yogurtland representative said.

Irvine-based Yogurtland operates 320 locations in the U.S., as well as international locations.

St. John’s at FI

The fashion house St. John Knits has landed at Fashion Island after shuttering its longtime boutique at South Coast Plaza. The store is located next to Pain du Monde and Bloomingdale’s.

New gym

Shredz Gym has opened at the Terrace Shops center in Ladera Ranch. The owner is Brittany De Anda, who started her career as a bikini competitor in San Diego. Shredz amenities include weight training and cardio equipment on an open floor format and high-intensity interval training classes. The gym also has a tanning system by Evolve Tanning Airbrush System.

The gym will hold a grand opening event from 4-8pm Friday, Feb. 9. Shredz Gym is near Lola’s Café & Jerry’s Dogs, at 1501 Corporate Drive, Suite B2-3.  For more information, call 949-354-0913 or go to shredzgym.com.