The bargain retailer Burlington Stores is open at Hunter Court Shopping Center in Lake Forest.
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The store, which celebrated its ribbon cutting on Saturday, Sept. 25, took the place of a shuttered CVS drugstore.
Shoppers can expect to find housewares, apparel and more.
Address: 24372 Rockfield Blvd.
At least 2 OC Starbucks are among 250 closures
Social media posts this week alerted us to two Starbucks closures in south Orange County.
The popular cafe in Plaza del las Flores at Oso and Antonio Parkways in Rancho Santa Margarita is among the 250 Starbucks closures announced Thursday by the Seattle coffee giant.
Commenters in a Facebook post that same day lamented the closure at 30465 Avenida de las Flores, noting the Starbucks had operated there for more than 25 years. Others noted that another (newer) Starbucks with a drive-through also operates in the same shopping center.
On Friday, customers wrote on Facebook that employees at the Starbucks at Aliso Viejo Plaza (where La Paz Road meets Pacific Park Drive) also were given two-days notice of that cafe’s closure. (Address: 27072 La Paz Road)
Starbucks said it was closing underperforming stores or those that didn’t match the cozy aesthetic the company is trying to recapture after pivoting to smaller, mobile-ordering stores during the pandemic.
A year ago, Starbucks closed at least 69 cafes in Southern California.
Those closures were the beginning of a $1 billion restructuring plan under the company’s new Chief Executive Officer Brian Niccol, the former CEO of Chipotle and an Orange County resident.
If you know of a recent or imminent Starbucks closure in your Orange County city, email the address, closing date and any photos of the cafe to [email protected].
A beloved churro is back — for now
A Costco food court favorite is back for a limited time, and members are likely thrilled.
In January 2024, the big-box retailer removed the twisted churro from its menu, replacing it with a large, 750-calorie chocolate chip cookie. Many members were not happy with the change.
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So, last week Costco teased on its social media accounts that a fan favorite was coming back.
Commenters were quick to guess it was the churro, which at $1.49 was among the cheaper items available at the food court. A hot dog and drink is $1.50 (and has been since 1985), and the chocolate chip cookie is $2.49.
Why so much protest to see the crispy dough disappear? It was cheap, easily transported by customers and helped to quell hungry tummies, especially Costco’s youngest shoppers often seen stuffed into tiny seats atop overstuffed shopping carts. Savvy shoppers also were known to buy the churro in bulk, cutting the cinnamon-sugar-dusted dessert into smaller portions for parties.
Costco’s Instagram account on Monday featured a video montage of an employee putting the churro sign back on the food court menu — with a limited time sticker. The video also showed myriad comments from fans begging for the treat’s return.
“i miss churros so much”
“TeamChurro”
“Home is where the churro is”
“When are the churros coming back I cant keep living like this”
At least one Costco member told us she had a churro Tuesday evening at the Murrieta location.
Shoppers with longer memories also took the opportunity to ask Costco to bring back the combo pizza (a combination pie with meat and veggies). In 2020, the retailer removed the pizza option, it said, to lower costs and simplify the amount of work being done in its kitchen.
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“If it worked for the churro, it can work for the combo pizza,” one commenter wrote. Costco’s pizza options today are cheese or pepperoni.
Also new to the Costco food court is a five-piece breaded chicken strip entree with a dipping sauce for $6.99. (Calories on this item run from 1,130 to 1,640, making it the highest-calorie option on the menu — not counting an entire Costco pizza.)
Grocery prices remain high as food supply chains react to higher fuel costs brought on by the war with Iran. With diesel prices at record highs, transportation costs are being pushed to consumers, driving up prices across the retail landscape.
Kohl’s hiring for the holidays
Kohl’s is hiring 1,400 temporary positions across the region, recruiting seasonal roles at local stores, plus jobs at its distribution and e-fulfillment centers, most of which are in the Inland Empire.
A peek at seasonal job listings included truck unloader, stockroom associates, retail associates, beauty advisers and overnight stockroom workers.
Hourly pay for in-store jobs ranges from $17 to $24, according to the listings. Warehouse roles pay $18 to nearly $27 hourly with a $1.25 hourly premium applied to overnight positions.
To see job listings, go to Careers.Kohls.com/seasonal or text ‘APPLY’ to 24508.
Irvine seeking 2 volunteers for sports committee
The city of Irvine is accepting applications to fill two volunteer vacancies on the Irvine Sports Advisory Committee.
The committee is made up people representing Irvine youth sports organizations. They provide City Council and the Community & Library Services Commission with input on policies, programs, facilities and the needs of the youth sports community.
Applicants should live in the city and be willing to commit to a two-year term. Committee meetings are held quarterly at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays at Quail Hill Community Center.
Applications are online at cityofirvine.gov/sportscommittee. They must be submitted by 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 12.
For more information, contact Collum McLaughlin at 949-724-6662 or email [email protected].
Tracy Mendoza is joining Chapman University’s senior staff as the vice president of development and constituent engagement, effective Oct. 26. She currently works at USC Annenberg’s School for Communication and Journalism. At Chapman, Mendoza will oversee fundraising and engagement to help close the university’s $500 million Inspire campaign. (Photo courtesy of Chapman University)
On the move
Tracy Mendoza is joining Chapman University’s senior staff as vice president of development and constituent engagement, effective Oct. 26. She’s moving from her post at USC Annenberg’s School for Communication and Journalism where she helped the school exceed its goal in the university’s overarching $6 billion fundraising campaign. At Chapman, Mendoza will oversee fundraising to help close the university’s $500 million Inspire campaign. She previously worked in similar roles at Portland State University and Cal State Long Beach.
Jennifer Schulman, executive director at J.P. Morgan Private Bank, was appointed to the board of directors at Miracles for Kids, a Southern California nonprofit that supports families with critically-ill children. (Photo courtesy of Miracles for Kids and Akiko Whalen Photography)
On board
Jennifer Schulman, executive director and banker at J.P. Morgan Private Bank, was appointed to the board of directors at Miracles for Kids, a Southern California nonprofit that supports families with critically-ill children. She is the fourth woman serving on the board and brings 30 years of experience in financial services.
Retired Anaheim Ducks star Ryan Getzlaf, right, Charles and Ducks right-wing Troy Terry pose with Wild Wing at the 15th annual CureDuchenne Golf Shootout held Sept. 12 in Dana Point. The event hosted by Terry and his wife, Dani, raised more than $700,000 for Duchenne muscular dystrophy research. (Photo courtesy of CureDuchenne)
Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County broke ground on Sept. 22 on a temperature-controlled processing room at its Irvine Distribution Center. The project was made possible by a $1.1 million gift from the J.W. and Sandra Mitchell Foundation. Seen here from left to right are President Mike Lyons with Gary F. Lyons & Associates; Cecilia Goodman, Mitchell Foundation trustee ; Steve Muzzy, Roberto Foundation trustee; Second Harvest Food Bank CEO Claudia Bonilla Keller, Mitchell Foundation trustee Susan Laird and Nazzareno Electric project director Joe Mergelmeyer. (Photo courtesy of Second Harvest Food Bank)
Good works
The 15th annual CureDuchenne Golf Shootout — hosted by Anaheim Ducks star Troy Terry and his wife, Dani — raised more than $700,000 for Duchenne muscular dystrophy research. The two-day event included a dinner at Cannery Seafood of the Pacific followed by a day of golf and fundraising at Monarch Beach Golf Links. The event has raised more than $7.5 million over its 15-year history, the nonprofit said. The money goes toward helping CureDuchenne fund research and new treatments for Duchenne.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County on Sept. 22 broke ground on a new temperature-controlled processing room at its Irvine Distribution Center. The project was made possible thanks to a $1.1 million gift from the J.W. and Sandra Mitchell Foundation. The nonprofit said the new room will allow it to safely receive and process more perishable food that requires specialized handling. With the added capacity, Second Harvest expects to distribute an additional 500,000 pounds of fresh produce annually.
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.
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