P.F. Chang's closed at Fashion Island in August, and that leaves the ocean-facing corner of the center with no restaurants at all. The Orange County Business Journal reported it was the last one left in that part of the center. The Cheesecake Factory and California Pizza Kitchen had already closed there in earlier years. Those were three national chains, each with a menu you could order from at dozens of other malls, and all three sat in a building that faced away from the Pacific.
Almost every arrival elsewhere in the center in 2026 is a first for Orange County or California. The Irvine Company has taken the chains off its best real estate and is filling the center with things you can only get here. The empty ocean side is the last part of that change.
Three Chains Gone, One Building Facing the Wrong Way
The Irvine Company's plan for the vacant space is called the Coastal Overlook. In 2025, an Irvine Co. spokesperson told the Orange County Business Journal the renovation would "reorient the existing brick-and-mortar space to face the ocean rather than turn its back to it, featuring expansive windows that capture panoramic Pacific views for guests to shop and dine by the coast."
That quote explains the closures. The old restaurant row had some of the best positioning in the center, but the building was oriented inward, toward the parking and walkways. The renovation keeps the location and turns the building around.
General manager Gerard Widder described the space in November 2025 as a place that "will introduce fresh dining and lifestyle concepts that take full advantage of Fashion Island's remarkable location." No tenants have been named yet. When the original announcement ran on November 3, 2025, it gave no construction start or opening date. The September 14, 2026 OCBJ follow-up said construction was expected to start this fall. For now, the honest summary is planned work, unnamed restaurants, and no opening date.
The Building That Showed the View Pays
The Irvine Company has already tested this idea once. RH moved its gallery and RH Ocean Grill in 2024 into a four-story, 97,000-square-foot building on the south end of the center, facing the coast. The company names that building as the model for the Coastal Overlook. "The community has responded enthusiastically to the beautiful coastal views and ocean breezes available while dining at RH Ocean Grill, and we will deliver a similar coastal ambiance in a refreshed restaurant space in this area of the center," Fashion Island told the Business Journal.
RH's move set off a chain of changes. The space it left near the koi pond and Bloomingdale's didn't stay empty. In January 2026, the Orange County Business Journal reported that Ralph Lauren and Ralph's Coffee had opened there, and that the coffee bar was Ralph's Coffee's first California location. One relocation produced an ocean-view restaurant and a statewide first. That is the playbook the Coastal Overlook is following.
The center has the sales to back the bet. OCBJ ranks Fashion Island as the second-largest shopping center in Orange County, with $876 million in taxable sales over 12 months. With that much traffic, a landlord can afford to leave a corner empty while it waits for the right kind of tenant.
What Filled In While the Ocean Side Emptied
Since January, the new openings have landed on the Macy's side, near the koi pond, and along the interior suites. Here is where each one is and what makes it different from what left.
| Arrival | Where | Status as of mid-October 2026 | Why it's different |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ralph Lauren and Ralph's Coffee | Suites A201 and A201X, former RH space near the koi pond and Bloomingdale's | Open since January 2026 | First California Ralph's Coffee |
| Telefèric Barcelona | 311 Newport Center Drive | Open since August 2026 | First Orange County location |
| Levain Bakery | 315 Newport Center Drive, Macy's side near Barnes & Noble | Open since Sept. 4, 2026 | First Orange County location |
| Jones Road | Suite 1089 | Grand opening held Oct. 16–18 | Orange County exclusive |
| Farm Rio | Suite 1057 | Grand opening held Oct. 17 | New fall arrival |
| Hill House Home | Suite 257 | Coming soon | Orange County exclusive |
| GARAGE | Suite 279 | Coming soon | Announced as opening soon |
The two food openings show the pattern most clearly. Each one fills a role the departed chains used to fill.
Telefèric Barcelona takes over the sit-down dinner
When The Cheesecake Factory and P.F. Chang's were open, they were the easy answer for a family dinner. The new answer comes from a Barcelona family business. As the Daily Pilot reported, Telefèric Barcelona is run by siblings Xavi and Maria Padrosa. Their parents opened the first restaurant outside Barcelona in 1992, and the group now has nine locations worldwide. Maria told the paper, "In Southern California, we fell in love with Fashion Island. It feels just like Barcelona."
The dining room has an open kitchen and a paella station, with tile, ceramics and furniture from Spanish artisans. The family-style paellas come topped with options such as poached lobster, gulf shrimp and octopus. A corner called El Merkat sells imported olive oils, tinned seafood, hand-carved jamón, Spanish wine, and paella kits that include the pan. The restaurant has also planned Olé! Flamenco and Tapas evenings. It opens at 11 a.m. daily and closes at 10:15 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11:15 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Levain becomes the quick stop worth the walk
Levain Bakery, the New York bakery known for its six-ounce cookies, opened its first Orange County shop on September 4, on the Macy's side of the center. According to OCBJ, co-CEO Taya Stenson greeted long lines of customers on opening weekend. It sits near Barnes & Noble and Starbucks, so the center's bookstore corner now has a draw of its own.
The Retail Side Follows the Same Rule
The shops show the same pattern. Fashion Island's fall 2026 preview presented both Jones Road and Hill House Home as Orange County exclusives. Jones Road held its grand opening October 16 through 18 and is now listed as open. Farm Rio held its grand opening on October 17. Hill House Home and GARAGE are still listed as coming soon in the center's directory. Neither has a public opening date.
If you mostly use Fashion Island for dinner and errands, the result is simple. The things that were new this year are on the inland side and near the koi pond. The ocean side is a construction site waiting to happen, and its next tenants will be picked to match the view.
What's Already on the November Calendar
A few dates in November are already set:
- November 8–28: Orange County Foster Teen Donation Drive at the center
- November 11: Levain Bakery and Barnes & Noble event, which puts the two neighbors together
The big holiday date isn't set yet. Last season's Nights of Coastal Lights ran November 21 through December 28, 2025, with a 90-foot tree and a light show every half hour from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Fashion Island hasn't posted 2026 dates, so don't plan around last year's.
Over the next year, the Coastal Overlook tenant announcements are the news to watch. Right now, the best new food at Fashion Island is a Barcelona paella house at 311 Newport Center Drive and a New York bakery on the Macy's side.
Fashion Island is one of the things a Newport Center address puts within easy reach, and changes like the Coastal Overlook show up in how buyers see the area. If you're thinking about selling near Newport Center or just want to know where your home stands this fall, Jen Gong and her team can give you a data-driven read on its value. Get Your Free Home Valuation.
