Biz News: Taco Jr. in Costa Mesa to be replaced with German-Mexican eatery Taco Brat
Taco Jr., a longtime Mexican food stand in Costa Mesa, closed recently and is being replaced by Taco Brat, a concept that combines German sausage with Mexican food.
The circumstances surrounding Taco Jr.’s closure were unclear. The business, at 2101 Harbor Blvd., was previously known as El Taco.
Taco Jr. said it had served the same food since 1958, making it among the oldest continually operating restaurants in Costa Mesa.
Taco Brat, which calls itself both a taqueria and a brathaus, will make its own tortillas and bratwurst and will serve beer and wine.
It is expected to open June 1. A redesign will transform the former taco stand into a “GerMexican beer garden,” according to Taco Brat’s website.
Taco Brat is the creation of chef and Costa Mesa resident Thomas Curran, formerly of Umami Burger and California Pizza Kitchen. His studies include coursework at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.
On Taco Brat’s website, Curran said he has strong roots in the city.
“Opening Taco Brat in my own neighborhood — just four blocks from my first apartment out of high school and a beach cruiser ride from my home — is my most gratifying venture,” he said. “With my passion for hand-cranked sausages and handmade tacos, I’m thrilled to bring Taco Brat to this exciting, eclectic and vibrant community.”
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Newport Beach Coco’s being replaced by Italian restaurant
The Coco’s restaurant at 900 Bristol St. North in Newport Beach has closed and is being replaced by Il Barone, an Italian restaurant that currently is located nearby at 4251 Martingale Way.
Il Barone is a popular “power lunch” spot for area executives, according to the Orange County Register.
The owner of the Coco’s building approached Il Barone’s owners, Franco and Donatella Barone, who were looking for a new space.
The Barones are beginning renovations this month on the 5,000-square-foot building, which is nearly double the size of their current restaurant, slated to close in May, the Register reported.
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New bank comes to Costa Mesa
Blue Gate Bank, an independent bank aimed at businesses and customers with high net worth, has opened at 611 Anton Blvd. in Costa Mesa.
It is the first new bank to open in Orange County since 2009, the company said, and only the eighth new bank to get regulators’ approval in the United States since 2008.
It offers checking, business and real estate loans and certificates of deposit.
Blue Gate has 12 employees in Orange County.
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Bruster’s ice cream shop opens in Huntington Beach
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream has opened a location in Huntington Beach, its third in California as it embarks on a campaign to add locations in the West and Southwest.
“The markets we are targeting are growing and have high population densities, as well as high household incomes, making them perfect for our concept,” Jim Sahene, chief executive of the Pennsylvania-based chain, said in a statement. “Unlike in the North and Midwest, people in the West and Southwest go out for ice cream all year long.”
The Huntington Beach shop at 7451 Warner Ave. is operated by franchisee Larry Johnson, who also owns Bruster’s locations in Cypress and Cerritos.
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Allen Tire Co. opens in Fountain Valley
The site of a closed Pep Boys in Fountain Valley has become an Allen Tire Co. location.
The store is at 10960 Talbert Ave.
Pep Boys said its store closed because it was too close to other locations in Costa Mesa and Huntington Beach, so the company decided not to renew its lease.
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Newport coffee shop to hold tasting of 4 brews
Kean Coffee in Newport Beach will host a tasting at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 23 of four coffees harvested from farms certified by the Rainforest Alliance, an organization that works with coffee farmers to improve their communities.
Farms that are certified by the Rainforest Alliance meet specific environmental and economic criteria.
The guided tasting will include a discussion with a coffee roaster.
Participants will receive a 25% discount on one 12-ounce bag of coffee from the four tastings. The bag must be purchased following the event.
Kean Coffee’s Newport location is at 2043 Westcliff Drive. For more information, visit keancoffee.com or call (949) 642-5326.
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Arbor Real Estate starts campaign to award surfboards to students
Arbor Real Estate, based in Newport Beach, recently launched its fourth annual “Stoke a Student” campaign in partnership with Surfside Sports in Costa Mesa, according to a news release.
The effort aims to “inspire surf-loving students in the Newport-Mesa area to value education and to succeed in school.”
Through June, Surfside Sports will award surfboards to an elementary, junior high or high school student in the Newport-Mesa area each month through a drawing. The winning student must show proof of maintaining a “B” average or better over the past semester to receive the surfboard.
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Hoag receives Women’s Choice Award
Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach received the 2017 Women’s Choice Award as one of America’s best hospitals for heart care and obstetrics, according to a news release.
It is the fourth consecutive year Hoag received the award.
“Our commitment to providing an unsurpassed level of personalized care to the community we serve starts with the dedicated physicians, nurses and staff on our team, and we are proud to know that our patients experience that when they come to Hoag,” Robert Braithwaite, Hoag’s president and chief executive, said in a statement.