Mission Viejo Planners Approve Mexican Eatery

Continuing a push to bolster the number of restaurants in the city, the Planning Commission this week approved plans for a Chevys Mexican Restaurant.

The family-style Mexican restaurant was the third dining house approved by the commission this month.

The city staff has indicated that Mission Viejo is “still losing about 30% of our diners to other cities, which suggests that there is still room in Mission Viejo for more restaurants,” Commissioner Sherri Butterfield said.

Situated at Puerta Real and Las Ramblas near Crown Valley Parkway, the Chevys restaurant would be visible from Interstate 5. The planned 7,000-square-foot restaurant is part of an eight-acre business-commercial complex that would include another dining house and a 107,000-square-foot office building.

The area is dominated by retail businesses and offices. Unlike other restaurant proposals, the Chevys restaurant plan drew no opposition.

The two restaurants approved by the commission on Jan. 4, however, were strongly protested by homeowners living near the proposed development on La Paz Road near Marguerite Parkway.

The homeowners subsequently filed an appeal of the Planning Commission decision that will be heard by the City Council on Feb. 22.

The Chevys Mexican Restaurants chain is based in San Francisco and has 34 restaurants in the Bay Area. The company opened two restaurants in Orange County last year and plans to open eight more in Southern California in 1993, including the Mission Viejo site.