Business is thriving in Mission Viejo with new development and restaurants planned or underway.

Along with a 45,000 square-foot LA Fitness coming to Kaleidoscope (and 25,000 square feet of construction at the center), in the coming months Mission Viejo will also see the demolition of the AT&T building to make way for the Lexus expansion and renovation project.

The Miss Meme’s Preschool on Marguerite Parkway will be leveled today to clear the way for a new Chase Bank. Other construction in the City includes a completely revamped Carl’s Jr. on La Paz near Marguerite; and a new ARCO service station with a mini mart on Crown Valley.

The popular Five Guys Burgers and Fries is expected to open in the summer in the former La Jolla Bank site on Alicia Parkway at Charlinda in the Alicia Town Plaza; a new Panera Bread and Chipotle restaurant will open on Marguerite Parkway in the former Blockbuster site; and the former Valentino’s on Santa Margarita Parkway in the Trabuco Hills Shopping Center will become Baja Tacos and the Grill Hut restaurant. Tenant improvements are underway for a Swensen’s Ice Cream Parlor next to the theatre in Kaleidoscope, with an expected April opening.

Also on the horizon for Mission Viejo in 2012 is the new Club Café restaurant, which has submitted plans to the City for a 1,575-square-foot space on La Paz at Muirlands.

About a thousand people flocked to the Mission Viejo Farmers Market, which opened in the Civic Center courtyard today boasting fresh produce and homemade food and living products.

Many people arrived early for the 9 a.m. opening to take advantage of 30 vendors featuring a unique selection of citrus, almond-based sauces, butter and pesto, honey-roasted nuts, fresh fish and much more. Several market-goers strolled the grounds munching on homemade tamales and wood-fired pizza while enjoying the talents of singer/songwriter Phillip Bardowell. In honor of its opening day, KSBR radio broadcast live from the Civic Center.

The Mission Viejo Farmers Market is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Friday at 200 Civic Center. Live entertainment is featured the first Friday of the month.

The market provides residents with access to healthy, sustainable food choices that support the City’s designation as a Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) city and demonstrates its commitment to the environment and local economy by providing fresh produce and a variety of food items that are grown and produced locally.

For more information, visit cityofmissionviejo.org/farmersmarket.

The new year will kick off to a healthy start in Mission Viejo when a new Farmers Market opens on January 13.

The Mission Viejo Farmers Market will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Friday at the Mission Viejo Civic Center located at 200 Civic Center.

The market will provide residents with access to healthy, sustainable food choices that support the City’s designation as a Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) city and demonstrates its commitment to the environment and local economy by providing fresh produce and a variety of food items that are grown and produced locally.

The weekly market will boast fresh produce, fish, meat, cheese, breads, baked goods, specialty food, gift baskets, flowers and so much more. It will feature live entertainment the first Friday of each month from noon to  1 p.m. 

For more information, visit http://cityofmissionviejo.org/farmersmarket. 

As City Hall prepares to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, the public is encouraged to be aware of facility operating hours.

City Hall will be closed Thursday and Friday and will resume normal business hours on Monday, November 28.

Trash and recycling services will be suspended on Thursday and delayed by one day for the remainder of the week.

Mission Viejo Animal Services Center: The Mission Viejo Animal Services Center will be closed on Thursday and Friday, with limited staff available to respond to emergency calls. The center will reopen at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday.

Mission Viejo Library: The library at 100 Civic Center will be closed Thursday and Friday. The library will reopen at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday.

Community Center: The Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center at 24932 Veterans Way will be closed Thursday and Friday for the holiday. It will reopen at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday.

Recreation and Tennis Centers: Montanoso Recreation and Fitness Center at 25800 Montanoso Drive will be open from 7:00 a.m. to noon on Thursday and from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday.

Sierra Recreation and Fitness Center at 26887 Recodo Lane will be closed Thursday and open from 7:00 a.m. to noon on Friday.

Marguerite Tennis Center at 23840 Marguerite Parkway will be closed on Thursday and Friday.

Felipe Tennis Center at 27161 Nogal will be open from 8 a.m. to noon on Thursday and Friday.

For more information or to request any service, call the City’s main number at 949-470-3000 or use the City’s new innovative Access MV 24/7 system, which is accessible from the homepage of City’s website at www.cityofmissionviejo.org.  The system is also available via iPhone App.

Be sure to visit the City’s Mission Viejo Life blog at www.missionviejolife.org and to follow the City on Twitter; become a Facebook friend; and visit the City’s YouTube.

A new bookstore opened in the Freeway Center this month and a new market will soon be under construction in the Gateway Center. The following update also includes other recent business news in the City.

Crown Books opens
Crown Books is now open in the former Mission Viejo Borders Books store at 25222 El Paseo in the Mission Viejo Freeway Center. Crown Books is a discounted book retailer offering more than 50,000 books at each location.

B&B Market to open
Construction is scheduled to begin this month on the new farmers market at 24042 Alicia Parkway-A101 in the former Coco’s Restaurant space at the Gateway Center. The B & B Market will offer fresh fruits and vegetables, a bakery, deli, flowers and more. The grand opening is planned for March 2012. The business owners also operate Hatam restaurant in Mission Viejo.

Grand opening of South County Collision Center
The Grand Opening of the new South County Collision Center is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on November 30 at 28400 Marguerite Parkway behind South County Motorcars. The Mission Viejo Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting ceremony begins at 1 p.m. The business is affiliated with South County Lexus at Mission Viejo but offers auto body repair and painting services for all makes and models. For more information, visit www.southcountycollision.com or call 949-456-8730.

Grand re-opening of McDonald’s
The McDonald’s restaurant located at 27700 Santa Margarita Parkway in the Portola Plaza has been revamped and now includes two drive through lanes. The re-opening celebration takes place Sunday, December 4. A ribbon cutting ceremony, complete with the Trabuco Hills High School Marching Band and cheerleaders, will be held at 1 p.m., followed by the Ronald McDonald Show and a performance by the Whiplash Kids Band. The fast-food eatery will host the “McTeacher’s Night” fundraiser from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, December 7 to benefit Del Lago Elementary School.

Game store opens
Magic and Monsters recently opened at 24001 Via Fabricante. The business sells games and specializes in collectible card games. It is open weekdays from noon to 8 p.m.; Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays.

Business happenings at the mall
The Vans Store has expanded and relocated across from Pottery Barn Kids in The Shops at Mission Viejo. Ruby Thai opened this week in the Dining Veranda. Verizon relocated to a larger location on the mall’s lower level. Retailer Chinese Laundry opened this month on the upper level next to American Eagle. Part of the former Forever 21 space is now under construction to become Lamb & Flag, a British clothing retailer. Early next year, construction will begin on a Sleep Number Store.

ARCO station on Crown Valley demolished
The family-owned and operated ARCO gas station at 27682 Crown Valley was demolished this month to make way for a new ARCO gas station and 24-hour convenience store.

City to host small business workshops
Mission Viejo partners with the U.S. Small Business Administration, SCORE, the Employment Development Department, and the OC Small Business Development Center to host small business workshops at Mission Viejo City Hall, 200 Civic Center. SCORE is now accepting reservations for the “Marketing Without Money Seminar” on Tuesday, November 22 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The cost is $30 by pre-registering at www.score114.org or $40 at the door. On Friday, December 9, EDD is offering a free “State Labor Law & Payroll Tax Seminar” from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Register at www.eed.ca.gov/taxsem.

The Orange County Business Council on Thursday recognized the City for its outstanding “green” efforts during the council’s Turning Red Tape Into Red Carpet Awards reception.

The City continues to be a leader in the implementation of environmentally sound policies, practices and procedures. The City’s Green Building and Energy Efficiency Program encourages residents and businesses to incorporate energy efficient and quality green building design and construction methods whenever feasible. Through the program, the City offers permit fee waivers for Energy Efficiency projects such as the installation of energy efficient windows and doors. Mission Viejo also provides expedited plan check and permit processing services.

For more information, visit the public counter at City Hall, the City’s website at www.cityofmissionviejo.org or call 949-470-3054.

A new teen communications program called “etc.” (enhancing teen communication) is launching in Mission Viejo.  The goal of the program is to help teens find employment if they are out of work, or are looking for their first job.  The extensive communications curriculum – specifically geared toward 12-16 year olds – is the first program of its kind to be offered in the county in partnership with a city at no cost to students, and will be directed by former KFWB On-Air Reporter Lori Kelman.

“This is my chance to give back – to take what I’ve learned professionally and use it as a volunteer to help prepare our youth to get a job, find a career, or improve their basic ability to communicate”, said Kelman.

“The importance of face-to-face communication is falling by the wayside as teens today ‘text’ or use Facebook as their primary ways to converse with one another.  That just won’t cut it in the real world when they need a job, before or after they graduate from high school.”

Kelman says her mission is to teach teens some of the basic communications skills that are not being taught formally in the classroom. Her curriculum includes resume writing, public speaking, interviewing, marketing, public relations, news writing, media relations and broadcasting – all areas that she has excelled in professionally.  Kelman plans to bring in guest speakers currently working in each of the professional arenas to talk to the teens, and also plans to incorporate field trips to local radio and television stations.

The program is being offered at no cost to teens attending middle school or high school in the district, and will run in eight week sessions on Tuesday nights (6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.) beginning on January 10, 2012 at the Norman P. Murray Community Center at 24932 Veterans Way in Mission Viejo.  Pre-registration is required, and class size is limited to the first 30 teens to sign up.  For more information or to register, please call (949) 470-3075.

The Planning and Transportation Commission on Monday gave the green light for a new Five Guys Burgers & Fries to open in a former bank site on the corner of Alicia Parkway and Charlinda Drive.

The restaurant could open by May 2012 in the former La Jolla Bank building at 24391 Alicia Parkway in the Alicia Towne Plaza. The plaza recently underwent an extensive makeover.

The restaurant, which is popular on the East Coast, was founded in 1986 by Janie and Jerry Murrell and their four sons (with Jerry and the sons being the original “Five Guys”). With more than 750 locations across 40 states and Canada, the restaurant is one of the fastest growing chains in the nation. About 20 new stores are expected by the end of 2012 including a handful of Orange County restaurants – Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Niguel, Tustin and Costa Mesa – that are either open or under construction.

Five Guys serves up burgers, dogs, sandwiches and fries. GQ Magazine in 2009 said the establishment has “the best $5 burger a man can eat.”

The new Mission Viejo Chamber of Commerce will make its debut on Wednesday, Oct. 12 at an event hosted by Jaguar Land Rover Mission Viejo, 28701 Marguerite Parkway.

The celebration, which kicks off at 6 p.m., includes refreshments from The Derby; Riptide Rockin Sushi and Teppan Grill; Rockin B’s Burrito Bandito; and Nothing Bundt Cakes along with a ribbon cutting ceremony in honor of this newly formed organization. Mayor Dave Leckness will be on hand for the festivities along with legislative representatives.

Local businesses recently joined together and formed the Mission Viejo Chamber of Commerce to provide opportunities and benefits for Mission Viejo chamber members to help strengthen their businesses. The new chamber and the City last month celebrated the grand opening of Fairhaven Memorial Services and Delizie Ristorante & Bar in Mission Viejo.

“The small business community was looking for opportunities to get together, market their products and services, meet potential customers and grow their business,” said chamber president Karin Krawiec. “That’s what this group is all about.”

For more information about the Mission Viejo Chamber of Commerce, visit www.missionviejochamber.com.
To RSVP for Wednesday’s event, call 949-973-9800.

LEGO buffs of all ages lined up for the grand opening of the new LEGO store today at The Shops at Mission Viejo.

Mayor Dave Leckness was on hand for the ribbon cutting for the new store that is stocked with LEGO products galore.

Through Sunday, “master builder” Dan Steininger will work with local youth to build an 8-foot tall SpongeBob SquarePants model out of LEGO bricks. The project is located on the lower level near Ruby’s Diner.