The Korean grocery store Mega Mart opens this week in La Habra, replacing an Amazon Fresh on Imperial Highway.
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The grand opening is scheduled to start with a ribbon cutting at 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 29.
The store on Imperial Highway is the first store of its kind in Southern California for the company. It has two locations in Northern California in Sunnyvale and Fremont and a lone store in Atlanta.
Founded in 1975 in South Korea, Mega Mart offers a wide variety of imported groceries and pantry goods, produce, meat and specialty seafood. The store also features dining options and a shopping mall of Korean goods.
Daily hours after the grand opening will be 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Online readers can follow the store’s updates at their Instagram account MegaMart_SoCal.
Address: 1610 W. Imperial Hwy., Suite 200 (behind the Walmart Supercenter)
Sprouts opens in Santa Ana
Sprouts Farmers Market opened Friday, Oct. 23 in Santa Ana, taking the place of a shuttered 99 Cents Only Store about 2 miles north of South Coast Plaza.
Sprouts calls itself a specialty grocer, offering a wide array of organic produce, meat (and vegan faux ‘meat’, too), pantry goods, a bakery, deli counter and a large wellness department with vitamins and supplements.
Shoppers also enjoy one of the only grocery stores that offer bulk-bin items such as grains, nuts and sweet treats.
Sprouts is based in Phoenix and operates 480 stores in 25 states.
Hours at the new Sprouts are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Phone: 657-243-0128
Address: 2311 S. Bristol St. (at Warner Ave.)
Amazon launches seasonal hiring push
Amazon is on a hiring spree for the holiday shipping season, seeking 10,000 people to service its logistic network in the Inland Empire.
That number is nearly a third of Amazon’s hiring push this month as the e-commerce giant adds at least 34,000 seasonal roles across California. The hiring numbers for Los Angeles and San Diego are significantly lower at 2,900 and 2,400, respectively. The company did not have a hiring count for Orange County.
Amazon says the average pay for these seasonal roles is $20 hourly. Eligible employees will get healthcare coverage their first day on the job. Pay will vary by market and operations site. The company noted that “many” of its seasonal roles could transition into full-time employment after the holidays.
Interested applicants can go to amazon.com/localjobs or text NEWJOB to 31432 to sign up for job alerts.
Burn expands with Build in Newport Beach
Build, a strength-focused studio, opened Oct. 16 inside its Burn facility Newport Beach.
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The Newport Beach studio, which launched in August as Burn’s first location outside Los Angeles, now offers Build’s strength classes alongside its Burn programming.
The concept combines heavy lifting with low infrared heat and red and near-infrared LED light.
Address: 2280 Newport Blvd Ste 101. Online at BUILD-LA.com
Irvine launches licensing online
The city of Irvine has launched an online portal for business licensing and code enforcement activities.
Businesses and residents can use the Public Resource & Integrated System for Land Management, or PRISM, to:
—Apply for or renew an Irvine business license online.
—Pay business license fees securely.
—Receive automatic email updates on a license application and a reminder as the renewal deadline approaches.
—Submit a code enforcement concern with photos and details attached, without needing to create an account.
—Look up the status and history of a business license application or a code enforcement case from any device.
Go to prism.cityofirvine.gov to get started.
The city notes that in-person assistance will still be available at the Community Development Assistance Center at City Hall, 1 Civic Center Plaza.
Singer and actress Ashanti poses with Miracles for Kids children on the black carpet for the nonprofit’s annual gala held Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club. (Photo courtesy of Tony Lattimore)
A $100,000 grant from the Samueli Foundation will provide transportation for Project Independence clients. Seen here, participants gather ahead of Project Independence’s 15th annual Walk & Health Fair held in Costa Mesa’s TeWinkle Park in 2025. (Photo courtesy of Project Independence)
Good works
The annual Miracles for Kids gala raised a record $4 million to support families with critically-ill children. The sold-out 2026 Night of Miracles Gala: The Miracle of Tomorrow was held Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club, marking the nonprofit’s 22nd annual gala. Some 500 guests contributed to the cause. Quy “Q” Nguyen was honored as the nonprofit’s 2026 Miracle Maker for his 17 years as a supporter of Miracles for Kids. The Zarate family was honored as the Miracles for Kids Family. Jayden Zarate is in remission from chronic myelogenous leukemia. Miracles for Kids provided the family housing assistance, basic necessities and ongoing support. While Jayden is in remission and continues daily oral chemotherapy, the family is now helping his mother with her own leukemia diagnosis.
KPMG U.S. Foundation recently gave Orange County United Way $100,000 to support the organization’s mission in Orange County. The grant will help OC United Way connect more people to programs and services such as 2-1-1, which helps residents find the social services they need. Other programs that will benefit include helping students stay on track in school and preparing for college and careers, providing families resources to remain financial stability, and connecting individuals experiencing homelessness with safe, stable housing.
Nonprofit Project Independence of Costa Mesa is getting a $100,000 Breakaway Fund grant from the Samueli Foundation. It will support the purchase of two passenger vans, including one adapted to accommodate a wheelchair. “We are honored to receive this generous grant from the Samueli Foundation,” said PI CEO Robert Watson. “Having two new passenger vans will help strengthen our capacity to safely and economically transport adults with developmental and other disabilities to and from their residences, expanding their opportunities to live more independent lives.”
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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