Two new retailers and a restaurant are coming to Brea Mall this spring and summer while another is expanding its offerings for fashionable children.
Here’s what property owner Simon says about the new merchants:
WinWings: Get a warm greasy hug from this chicken wing, burger and fry restaurant. (Opening this spring)
UNTUCKit: Shop for casual and upscale styles in shirts, polos, sweaters, jackets and pants. All can be worn either tucked in or untucked. (Opening this spring)
Also see: Philz, Snooze, Sender One among new shops coming to Bella Terra
Levi’s: The eponymous jeans brand is opening this summer.
LoveSac: Sells furniture known for its bean bag chairs, sectionals and accessories. (Opens this summer)
Cotton On Kids: The fashion retailer is opening an expanded shop by summer.
The mall itself is expanding, part of a multimillion-dollar redevelopment plan launched last September.
More retail news: 6 restaurants, shops open at MainPlace Mall in Santa Ana
Simon is adding a swath of new stores in a section of the retail center previously occupied by Sears and a parking lot.
Several new tenants, including the popular dumpling house Din Tai Fung, are joining the sprawling outdoor retail area, approved by the city in December 2022.
With no timeline announced, property owner Simon said it’s bringing to the mall the high-end fitness gym operator Life Time, Zara, Pacific Catch, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Philz Coffee and The Melt.
Veronica Beard boutique opens in Newport Beach
Veronica Beard is open at Fashion Island, the boutique’s first Orange County location and the seventh in California.
We first learned about the boutique last August when it signed a lease to join the retail center by the ocean.
The ready-to-wear fashion brand known for its Dickey jacket was created in 2010 by two Veronicas, sisters-in-law Veronica Miele Beard and Veronica Swanson Beard. Their mission was to create “a modern uniform for today’s women.”
Also see: Bushfire Kitchen coming to south OC; David’s Bridal reopens in bigger Brea store
The line includes an array of colors and fits. The Fashion Island store will be opposite Bloomingdale’s, carrying the brand’s full lineup of jackets and denim, outerwear, dresses, tops, skirts, footwear and accessories.
New sushi eatery coming to Laguna Beach
Oto Sushi is opening in Laguna Beach this spring at 370 Glenneyre St. next to Broadway by Amar Santana.
A representative of the company said the restaurant would be serving “sustainable sushi.” No further details were provided.
The restaurant is taking the place of the shuttered Three Seventy Commons.
For more information, go to otosushi.com.
Imaging center in Santa Ana has a new owner
SimonMed Imaging recently acquired Open System Imaging in Santa Ana.
Terms of the deal, which included five other imaging centers, were not disclosed.
The Scottsdale-based company provides outpatient diagnostic imaging with 3T MRI and 3D Mammography technology.
The Santa Ana facility is at 1401 N Tustin Ave #170 on the first floor.
Hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
OUSD expands its EV bus-charging system
Orange Unified School District has ordered more electric-bus charging stations from San Diego-based Nuvve Holding Corp.
The district bought 13 “PowerPort” chargers and 3 60kW chargers for its EV infrastructure expansion, according to Christina A. Celeste-Russo, OUSD’s director of transportation.
The new devices follow the district’s 2021 purchase of 15 PowerPort chargers, which charge its fleet of EV school buses bought over 2021 and 2022 from Blue Bird Corp.
Celeste-Russo said the District spent approximately $55,000 on the chargers bought in 2021 after receiving a rebate. The 16 additional chargers just purchased cost roughly $286,000.
The school district has 17 EV buses in its fleet, she said.
On the move
David Levy is the new chief revenue officer at DZYNE Technologies in Irvine. The company develops unmanned autonomous systems defense AI solutions. Levy replaces interim CRO Christopher Miller who is shifting to DZYNE’s chief of Strategic Pursuits and the company’s board of directors. Levy previously spent 19 years at General Atomics, where he most recently served as a senior director for Aeronautical Systems. Before that, he spent 17 years at McDonnell Douglas/Boeing.
Sean C. McGah has been promoted to partner at MG+M The Law Firm. He works in the company’s Irvine office and primarily focuses on asbestos and talc litigation. Before becoming a civil litigator, he was a prosecutor.
Judicial appointments
Orange County resident Bryan F. Clavecilla recently was appointed as a judge in the Orange County Superior Court, filling the vacancy left by Judge Linda Marks, who retired. Clavecilla previously served as a commissioner at the Orange County Superior Court and as a senior deputy district attorney and assistant Head of Court at the Orange County District Attorney’s Office Central Justice Center from 2022 to 2024.
Milestones
Melissa Carrillo of the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Ana has been honored as the Youth of the Year by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Orange Coast (BGC of Central OC). The award recognizes an individual between the ages of 14 and 18 who “demonstrates academic excellence and leadership skills while acting as a role model for other youth within the Club.” Carrillo is heavily involved in BGC of Central OC’s College Bound program and holds the position of Associated Student Body President at Nova Academy.
Correction
Christopher Downing was one of two African-American male superintendents in Orange County’s history. Because of incorrect information provided to the Register, this distinction was incorrect in last week’s Status Update column.
Status Update is 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.
