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ORANGE COUNTY, CA—There has been an immense influx of specialty and craft food-and-beverage operators entering the Orange County market from San Francisco and L.A., as well as quality local operators, Cushman & Wakefield director Jennifer Pelino tells GlobeSt.com.

Food-and-beverage uses have become among the strongest in Southern California, and the Orange County market is no exception. As Pelino recently observed, “This is an exciting time for the restaurant culture in Orange County since the trend overall for shopping centers is more focused on food and beverage than ever before. It is great to see the malls embrace boutique food operators and steer away from the more traditional big 'chain' restaurants.”

Pelino notes that Hopdoddy, an Austin-based burger-and-craft-beer eatery, opened up at Fashion Island a few years ago, and at that time, the brand did not have many other locations. “It was also exciting to see Juice Served Here open up there as well. With the addition of two new retail lifestyle centers—Lido Marina Village and Pacific City—we continue to see positive changes in line with urban trends. Craft coffee shops and eateries from Los Angeles and San Francisco such as Philz Coffee, Zinque, and Nobu have entered Orange County, as well as local operators such as Lido Bottle Works, Bear Flag Fish Co. and Pie-Not, which have established themselves with high-quality food and experiences.”