When the Irvine Company first described its plans for the old restaurant corner at Fashion Island, a spokesperson said the renovation "will reorient the existing brick-and-mortar space to face the ocean rather than turn its back to it." The Orange County Business Journal reported the quote in November 2025, and the company has kept using it.
A year later, the space it describes has no restaurants in it. P.F. Chang's closed in August 2026. It was the last restaurant open in the part of the center once shared with The Cheesecake Factory and California Pizza Kitchen, and both of those left in earlier years. That makes the 2026 holidays the first season in years with no restaurant serving from that corner. Most of what's new to eat at Fashion Island this fall sits elsewhere in the center.
Three closures, spread across several years
The corner did not empty all at once. The Cheesecake Factory and California Pizza Kitchen closed first, in years before 2026. P.F. Chang's stayed open until this August. Its closure was the step the Irvine Company needed before it could start the project, which it calls the Coastal Overlook. In a September 14, 2026 report, the Business Journal said the developer planned to start construction "this fall" on the space once held by all three restaurants.
That report named no tenants and gave no opening date. Fashion Island described the project only as a venue for "innovative" restaurant concepts. General manager Gerard Widder had told the Business Journal a year earlier that the area would "introduce fresh dining and lifestyle concepts that take full advantage of Fashion Island's remarkable location." Until tenants are announced, the corner has nothing to book.
By 12-month taxable sales of $876 million, Fashion Island is the second-largest shopping center in Orange County, according to the same Business Journal coverage. The corner is empty because the owner chose to rebuild it.
The model for the rebuild is already open on the south end
The Coastal Overlook is meant to follow a pattern that already exists at Fashion Island. RH Gallery and its RH Ocean Grill moved in 2024 into a 97,000-square-foot, four-story building on the south end of the center, facing the coast. A Fashion Island spokesperson told the Business Journal that "the community has responded enthusiastically to the beautiful coastal views and ocean breezes available while dining at RH Ocean Grill," and that the company would "deliver a similar coastal ambiance in a refreshed restaurant space in this area of the center."
So the dining room the Irvine Company points to as the future of the old corner is already serving on the south end. The renovation plan calls for expansive windows with panoramic Pacific views, the feature RH built its building around.
Where the new tables landed in 2026
While the old corner waits for construction, the center's newest food openings went into other spaces. Two of them opened this year.
- Telefèric Barcelona, 311 Newport Center Dr. The Spanish tapas and paella restaurant took over the former Hopdoddy Burger space. The Business Journal had announced an August 20 opening, and the restaurant's Newport Beach page now lists it as open daily for lunch and dinner. Its posted hours are 11 a.m. to 10:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Sunday, and 11 a.m. to 11:15 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
- Levain Bakery, Macy's side of the center. The New York bakery known for its six-ounce cookies opened its first Orange County location in September 2026. The Business Journal reported long lines on opening weekend.
- RH Ocean Grill, south end. It isn't new this year, but it is now the center's only ocean-facing dining room and the template for whatever replaces the closed restaurants.
For anyone whose Fashion Island routine used to end at one of the three closed restaurants, these openings change the map. A cookie line sits on the Macy's side, a tapas room sits in an old burger space, and the ocean-view table is on the south end.
Storefronts still marked "opening soon"
The Business Journal's September report also listed three retailers as opening soon: Farm Rio, Garage and Jones Road. It gave no opening dates or locations within the center. Like the Coastal Overlook, they belong in the "announced" column for now. Fashion Island Guest Services at (949) 721-2000 can tell you which ones are open before you plan a trip around one.
The season starts at the courtyard on November 20
Fashion Island's holiday kickoff doesn't depend on the restaurant corner. The Tree Lighting Ceremony is on Friday, November 20, 2026, in the Neiman Marcus–Bloomingdale's Courtyard. The program starts at 5 p.m. and includes the lighting of a 90-foot live Christmas tree, snowfall, holiday music, a performance by the Sugarplums and a visit from Santa. The center notes the event is weather permitting.
That's a Friday evening. With no restaurant open on the old corner, a dinner reservation before or after the lighting will need to be at one of the operating spots, and Telefèric's Friday hours run until 11:15 p.m.
Newport's holiday calendar, from the center to the harbor
The tree lighting is the first of several dated events around the city over the following month. All of the dates below come from Visit Newport Beach event listings, and some note that programming is subject to change.
| Date | Event | Where | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 20 | Tree Lighting Ceremony | Fashion Island, Neiman Marcus–Bloomingdale's Courtyard | Starts 5 p.m.; 90-foot live tree, snowfall, Santa |
| Sun., Nov. 22 | Mistletoe Market | Balboa Bay Resort, 1221 Coast Highway | 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., open to the public |
| Thu., Nov. 26 | Thanksgiving dinner at The Mayor's Table | 3300 Newport Blvd. | 2 to 7 p.m. |
| Fri., Nov. 27 | Lighting of the Bay opening night | Newport Dunes, 1131 Back Bay Drive | 4 to 8 p.m.; free entry, $15 parking |
| Nov. 27 to Jan. 2 | Holiday lights cruises | Newport Landing, 309 Palm St., #A | Multiple departures; cruises join the parade route Dec. 16 to 20 |
| Dec. 16 to 20 | 118th Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade | Starts at the Tip of Lido Isle | About 6:30 p.m. nightly; Marina Park is a large public viewing area |
After opening night, Lighting of the Bay continues with its Fire & Lights Festival at Newport Dunes on Thursday through Sunday evenings through January 3, 2027. Between the courtyard on November 20 and the last holiday cruise on January 2, the season's dates are spread around the Back Bay, Lido Isle and Coast Highway. None of them take place on the restaurant corner the Irvine Company has said it will reopen facing the water.
Once the Coastal Overlook names its first tenant, the old corner will have tables again. If you're curious how changes like this one affect Newport Beach home values, Casa Bella Realty Group can walk you through it with a free home valuation built on what's happening around your address.
