Anaheim Hills is getting a Trader Joe’s.
The Monrovia-based grocery store chain announced that store 295 is “coming soon,” replacing a Big Lots at Anaheim Hills Village, which sits at the intersection of East Santa Ana Canyon Road and South Fairmont Boulevard.
Read more Warsh’s gamble: A quieter Federal Reserve could mean volatile markets, higher rates
The company rarely speaks about its plans to expand or renovate its stores. Instead, residents watch for signs on its website and at shuttered retail stores.
Residents in Costa Mesa were the first to announce that city’s second Trader Joe’s was coming to a former 99 Cents Only Store. It opened last December. Another store in Orange expanded last year into a shuttered CVS next store, debuting the larger format before Thanksgiving.
In Laguna Niguel, new signage this year indicates the Trader Joe’s at Ocean Ranch Village shopping center will be shifting to a former Bed, Bath & Beyond, which is being split in two, making room for an Ulta Beauty as well.
“Our Crew is working hard so we can open our doors. We’ll continue to post new details about the store and its opening here, so please check back for updates!” the Anaheim Hills announcement says.
Trader Joe’s and other grocery stores including H Mart, Vallarta and Tokyo Central have been expanding voraciously across Southern California. There’s an influx of new stores either newly opened or coming to Orange County and the Inland Empire as chains take advantage of retail spaces left vacant by shuttered chains like Amazon Fresh, 99 Cents Only and Big Lots.
The region is also getting a new brand, T&T Supermarkets, later this year as Canada’s largest Asian supermarket chain lands in Irvine and Chino Hills. The supermarket boasts supersize stores that stock an abundance of pantry goods, produce, meat, fish and prepared food.
Readers also went a little bonkers when they heard the Los Angeles-based chain Erewhon was opening a store in Costa Mesa, replacing the former T-Shirt Warehouse near the shuttered Santa Monica Seafood (soon to become Bear Flag Fish Co.). Erewhon’s popularity was pushed by social media influencers who love to show their audience the super-expensive food sold at the store, including $22 smoothies, $50 jars of jam and so on.
If you live in Anaheim Hills or north Orange, keep us posted on the Trader Joe’s development by emailing us at [email protected].
Address: 6336 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road
$40,000 in grants open to MedTech startups
Are you launching a startup in the medical field in Southern California?
The Orange County/Inland Empire Small Business Development Center Network recently opened its first Grand Rounds for early-stage MedTech startups.
The 12-week accelerator program is modeled after clinical grand rounds used in medicine. Each participating company will be treated as a case. Those that are selected will undergo a 25-criterion diagnostic of their pitch deck, story and investor readiness. They will then be matched matched with “specialist advisers” to close specific gaps.
The program will feature six meetings with CEOs, a structured curriculum with scored checkpoints, and help building a full investor-ready package.
It all comes together in an investor showcase and live pitch competition later this year at which $40,000 in prizes will be awarded.
Ten companies will be selected for the full 12-week program, with five finalists advancing to the showcase.
There is no cost to apply or participate.
Eligibility: The grand rounds are open to MedTech founders in Orange County and the surrounding region. Applicants should have a defined product concept, some form of early validation (clinical, technical or from customer discovery) and the ability to commit to a 12-week schedule. The program is designed for companies at the concept-through-early revenue stage.
Applications are open and close July 15.
Applicants must submit a pitch deck, a five-minute video pitch, and a written application by July 15. For more information, go to ociesmallbusiness.org/launchpad-sbdc/grand-rounds.
The OCIE SBDC provides consulting, training, and resources to help small businesses grow and succeed.
The Los Angeles-based fitness boutique Burn, which uses infrared-heated red and blue light workouts, is open at Peninsula Village in Newport Beach. (Photo courtesy of Burn)
The Los Angeles-based fitness boutique Burn, which uses infrared-heated red and blue light workouts, is open at Peninsula Village in Newport Beach. (Photo courtesy of Burn)
Workout boutique that uses infrared light opens
The Los Angeles-based fitness boutique Burn, which uses infrared-heated red and blue light workouts, is open at Peninsula Village in Newport Beach.
The fitness facility offers members 45-minute classes. Later this fall, the company is opening a weight-lifting studio.
For more information, go to burnla.com.
Address: 2280 Newport Blvd., Suite 101
SJC gym reopens after remodel
The 24 Hour Fitness today in San Juan Capistrano Super-Sport club reopened in late May after a remodel.
Workout spaces were redesigned and amenities upgraded to improve the floor plan and workout flow. The gym also got new rubber and turf flooring, fresh paint, upgraded fitness equipment and new signage.
Address: 27124 Calle Arroyo
Vipe Desai, SIMA executive director, is the new director of Strategic Alliances and Events at Visit Huntington Beach.. (Photo courtesy of Vipe Desai)
On the move
Vipe Desai is the new director of Strategic Alliances and Events at Visit Huntington Beach. It’s a new position aimed at creating new partnerships and events that help boost overnight stays in the city. Desai is also the executive director of the Surf Industry Members Association, a role he will continue alongside his work with Visit Huntington Beach. He has at least three decades of experience in brand marketing, sporting events and strategic partnerships.
Michael Parada is the new general manager of Hive & Honey Rooftop Bar at Marriott Irvine Spectrum. He brings two decades of food and beverage expertise to the role where he will lead operations at the hotel’s rooftop bar. Parada previously was regional manager for Café Sevilla.
John Correa of Costa Mesa recently received the Self Advocate Award from the Regional Center of Orange County at its annual Spotlight Awards held in May. He’s been a Project Independence client for two decades. (Photo courtesy of the Regional Center of Orange County)
Good works
John Correa of Costa Mesa received the Self Advocate Award from the Regional Center of Orange County at its annual Spotlight Awards held in May. RCOC recognized Correa, a Project Independence client for two decades, for his strides in health and wellness and fundraising for the annual Walk for Independence. A previous Status Update item on Correa included a misspelled last name provided by Project Independence.
Status Update is compiled and written by Business Editor Samantha Gowen. Submit items and high-resolution photos to [email protected]. Allow at least one week for publication. Items are edited for length and clarity.
Read more Single father rebuilds his life with help from Rising Scholars at Santiago Canyon College