When the Irvine Company described its plans for the old restaurant corner at Fashion Island, a spokesperson said the renovation would "reorient the existing brick-and-mortar space to face the ocean rather than turn its back to it, featuring expansive windows that capture panoramic Pacific views for guests to shop and dine by the coast," as the Orange County Business Journal reported.
That spot had the best view in the center and a building that faced away from it. As of this fall, the building is also empty. Everything new to eat at Fashion Island in 2026 opened somewhere else, in spaces that were already built. The center's dining is moving toward the coast, but this year all of the new openings have been inland.
The Corner That Faced Away From the Water
Three national chains held the ocean-facing space for years. The Cheesecake Factory and California Pizza Kitchen closed in earlier years. P.F. Chang's closed in August 2026, and the Business Journal noted it was the last restaurant left in that part of the center.
The Irvine Company is renovating the three former restaurant spaces together as a single project called the Coastal Overlook. In November 2025, Fashion Island Vice President and General Manager Gerard Widder told the Business Journal that "this new area will introduce fresh dining and lifestyle concepts that take full advantage of Fashion Island's remarkable location."
The Model Is Already Open at the South End
The Irvine Company has said where the idea came from. In 2024, the RH Gallery and its RH Ocean Grill moved into a four-story, 97,000-square-foot building at the south end of the mall that faces the coastline.
In a statement to the Business Journal, Fashion Island said that "the community has responded enthusiastically to the beautiful coastal views and ocean breezes available while dining at RH Ocean Grill, and we will deliver a similar coastal ambiance in a refreshed restaurant space in this area of the center."
The RH building tested whether a meal with a Pacific view could pull people to the edge of the center. The Coastal Overlook applies the same idea to a site the center already owns, which held three chain restaurants that turned their backs to the water.
Where the New Tables Went Instead
While the ocean corner sits vacant, every food opening at Fashion Island this year has gone into an existing suite elsewhere in the center. Here they are in order:
- Ralph's Coffee, January 20, 2026. Ralph Lauren's café concept opened with the brand's new boutique in the former RH outpost near the koi pond and Bloomingdale's. The center lists it in Suite A201X. The space opened up because RH moved to its larger building on the south end, so the center's first new café of the year comes from that same move.
- Ben & Jerry's, summer 2026. The center's spring magazine announced it as a summer arrival. The center's directory now lists it as open in Suite A102 and describes it as locally owned.
- Telefèric Barcelona, late August 2026. The family-owned Barcelona restaurant run by siblings Xavi and Maria Padrosa announced an August 20 opening at 311 Newport Center Drive, in the former Hopdoddy space. By early September, the Business Journal had reviewed it.
- Levain Bakery, September 4, 2026. The New York bakery founded by Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald opened its first Orange County location at 315 Newport Center Drive, on the Macy's side of the center. It is known for six-ounce cookies. The Daily Pilot covered the opening, and the Business Journal reported that co-chief executive Taya Stenson greeted long lines on opening weekend.
Telefèric and Levain are next to each other at 311 and 315 Newport Center Drive and opened about two weeks apart. Together they make one short stretch of the center a new destination of its own, with dinner at one address and dessert at the next.
All four are smaller formats or single-concept operators that fit into spaces that already existed. None needed new construction, and none is on the ocean side. The center is filling its interior with tenants that can open quickly and saving the view corner for whatever the Coastal Overlook turns out to be.
What Is Public About the Coastal Overlook So Far
The Overlook has been talked about since November 2025, but few details are public. Here is what has been said and what has not:
| Detail | Status as of the September 14, 2026 Business Journal report |
|---|---|
| Location | Former Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang's and California Pizza Kitchen space |
| Design direction | Building turned toward the ocean, with expansive windows facing the Pacific |
| Intended use | A venue for new restaurant and lifestyle concepts |
| Construction | Planned to begin this fall |
| Named tenants | None announced |
| Opening date | None announced |
| Project size | Not published |
"Planned to begin this fall" is how the Irvine Company described the schedule in mid-September. It is not a groundbreaking date. Without a tenant list or opening date, the most reliable guide to what the Overlook will feel like is RH Ocean Grill, since the center itself points to it as the model.
Why the Center Can Afford to Wait
The ocean corner is empty while construction is being planned, and the rest of the property is busy enough to carry that gap.
The Business Journal ranks Fashion Island as the second-largest shopping center in Orange County, with $876 million in taxable sales over the past 12 months. New retailers have kept arriving this fall. Jones Road held its grand opening October 16 through 18, and the Business Journal has listed Farm Rio and Garage as opening soon.
With that much activity in the interior, the ocean corner does not need to earn rent right away. The Irvine Company can take its time and design the space around the view.
Using the Center This Season
For anyone in Newport Beach who uses Fashion Island as an everyday stop, the practical map has changed this fall:
- Morning coffee is now on the Bloomingdale's side, at Ralph's Coffee near the koi pond.
- Dinner out has a new option at Telefèric Barcelona at 311 Newport Center Drive.
- Something sweet means Levain next door at 315, or Ben & Jerry's in Suite A102.
- A meal with a view is still at RH Ocean Grill, in the coast-facing RH building on the south end.
The old chain restaurants on the ocean side are gone, and nothing will replace them until the Irvine Company names tenants for the Coastal Overlook.
For homeowners near Newport Center, a project like the Coastal Overlook changes what it is like to live nearby: what is within a short drive for dinner, and how much of the coast is part of an ordinary errand. Team Sorrentino follows these changes block by block across the Newport Beach communities near Fashion Island and can explain how they affect a property you own or are considering. Book an appointment to start that conversation.