The following represents just a sampling of business news in Mission Viejo. 

New commercial construction

The new service station complete with an AM PM mini-mart that was built after the ARCO AM PM gas station was demolished at 27682 Crown Valley Parkway is now open.  The newly constructed service station, which now offers eight fueling pumps, opened May 9 across the street from Kaleidoscope near the I-5 freeway.

Construction to rebuild the former Carl’s Jr. building at 27092 La Paz Road that was demolished earlier this year is underway.  The project includes a new and redesigned interior with additional exterior architectural features and landscaping improvements.  The new Carl’s Jr. restaurant with a drive-thru is scheduled to re-open this fall.

Construction of a new Chase Bank is progressing quickly at 25112 La Paz Road.  The new 4,200-square-foot bank is planning to open mid-summer.

Play N Trade is coming soon to the La Paz Shopping Center (La Paz Road at Marguerite Parkway).  Play N Trade will sell new and gently used electronic games and movies at 25106 Marguerite Parkway. The store will be open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

RV Storage Depot recently signed a lease for the property at 25725 Jeronimo Road (near Obrero).  RV Storage offers on-site and indoor storage of motor homes, travel trailers, fifth wheels, boats, commercial vehicles, limousines, high-performance vehicles and classic cars.

Projects get approval from Planning & Transportation Commission

The Planning and Transportation Commission on Monday gave the green light to a fine arts academy and preschool and kindergarten program in town.

Maureen Umaña Boatman of Umaña Academy of Fine Arts plans to build an academic and arts facility in an existing 5,040-square-foot space at 27525 Puerta Real in the Puerta Real Center.  The facility will cater to children ages 3-13 and will offer Tiny Tot, Kindergarten, Homeschool, and Fine Art programs.

The commission also granted a Conditional Use Permit to Lisa Oliver of Lakeside Academy for an academic and developmental preschool and kindergarten program at 27772 Vista Del Lago in the Plaza Del Lago Shopping Center.  The proposed facility caters to children ages 2-6 and includes a 6,700-square-foot interior space with a 12,000-square-foot playground.  The facility will focus on child development, including education and physical and social development.

In addition, the Planning and Transportation Commission approved a new 30-foot high freeway identification sign for The Shops at Mission Viejo.  The sign will be located on mall property next to the I-5 Freeway.

Chamber of Commerce news, information

In just six months, the Mission Viejo Chamber of Commerce has grown to more than 150 members.  The next mixer is set for Thursday, May 17 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Kaleidoscope retail center, 27741 Crown Valley Parkway.  The event includes refreshments and behind-the-scenes access to see the digital projection facility at the Edwards Kaleidoscope Stadium 10 Theatre.  The mixer is free for chamber members and $10 general admission.

Information: www.missionviejochamber.org.

The chamber recently hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at SlimGenics in the Portola Plaza at  27754 Santa Margarita Parkway. SlimGenics offers comprehensive weight-loss services, support and a wide array of nutritious, healthy and tasty snacks.  Information: www.slimgenics.com/ca-slimgenics or call 454-2300.

City to host Small Business Workshops

Mission Viejo partners with the U.S. Small Business Administration, SCORE, the Employment Development Department, the Internal Revenue Service, the OC Small Business Development Center, and the State Board of Equalization to offer and host small business workshops at Mission Viejo City Hall, 200 Civic Center.  SCORE is now accepting reservations for the “Computer Maintenance for Small Business:  Keeping Your Computer Fast & Healthy” on Tuesday, May 22 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Saddleback Room at City Hall. The cost is $30 with online pre-registration at www.score114.org or $40 at the door. On Wednesday, May 23, the Internal Revenue Service/State Board of Equalization will offer a free “Small Business Resources” workshop from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., in the Council Chamber at City Hall.  Visit  www.irs.gov/businesses/small/topic/index.html or call 389-4902 for more information.

From a host of activity at The Shops at Mission Viejo to the Sizzler Corporation moving into town, business is booming in Mission Viejo. The following represents just a sampling of business news in the community.

A storewide renovation of the Nordstrom is now underway in The Shops at Mission Viejo.  This comprehensive project is scheduled to be finished by Thanksgiving.  Construction will mostly take place at night after the store closes.

Watch Works has relocated from the center court area to the lower level near Macy’s.  This move provided the opportunity for Brighton Collectibles to expand into the adjacent space formerly occupied by Watch Works.  Construction on the new, larger Brighton Collectibles space should be finished this month.  By early summer, Hanna Anderson will open between True Religion and Brighton Collectibles.  Hanna Anderson is a children’s apparel store that features clothing inspired by the company’s Swedish heritage.

With the relocation and significant expansion of Forever 21, space for three new retailers was created.  Lamb & Flag, the denim retailer is now open; Angl, a women’s clothier is under construction; and Pink Victoria’s Secret recently signed a lease for the 3,505-square-foot, corner location.  This new Pink store will be located directly across from the existing 7,524-square-foot Victoria’s Secret retail space that will be renovated.  Early next month, The Shops will add Travel X, a new foreign currency exchange kiosk and a 4,200-square-foot Optimus Toys store on the lower level.

The Mission Viejo Chamber of Commerce celebrated the Grand Opening of Allen Chiropractic on April 18 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.  Dr. James E. Allen recently opened the new business at 27772 Vista del Lago in the Plaza del Lago shopping center overlooking Lake Mission Viejo. 

Two new businesses are slated for the La Paz shopping center.  The Khorrami family of Mission Viejo just opened Boba-lish-es at 25108 Marguerite Parkway, Suite B.  Boba-lish-es offers tea, coffee and fresh fruit drinks with boba, mini boba, fruit jelly and mochi.  The grand opening will be celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 27. Play N Trade also recently signed a lease for retail space south of Ralphs.

Soccer Fanatic is moving to Mission Viejo and changing its name to Soccer Loco.  The new 4,650-square-foot space is located at 24451 Alicia Parkway, Suite 6 ABC in the Alicia Towne Center.  The retailer offers everything for soccer – shoes, gear, and equipment.  The store should open this summer. 

Another new restaurant is preparing to open in Mission Viejo. Club Cafe is located at 26051 La Paz Road in the Muirlands retail center. This 1,575-square foot-restaurant will feature panini sandwiches, pizza and a fresh juice bar and coffee bar.

Devilicious Donuts will open this summer at 28601 Marguerite Parkway featuring a wide variety of donuts, desserts and Levaza Italian coffee.  The menu includes traditional favorites and unique items like donuts stuffed with ice cream, a hamburger on a glazed donut, and a bacon/hot dog/donut combo.  This business is expected to open in July.

Sizzler USA Real Property, Inc., a subsidiary of Worldwide Restaurant Concepts, Inc., has signed a lease for nearly 10,000 square feet of office space near Jeronimo Road and Alicia Parkway. The 72-month lease for the third-floor office space is valued at $1.015 million. This transaction represents the largest “class A” office lease in the Mission Viejo submarket so far this year.  The Sizzler business began more than five decades ago as a family-casual restaurant featuring steaks, seafood, and a large salad bar.  There are 170 locations in the United States and Puerto Real.  Recent developments include the remodeling of more than 30 restaurants with 16 locations scheduled for upgrading this year.

Business is booming at British Performance, which will relocate and expand from Jeronimo this summer to a 27,000-square-feet building at 23602 Via Fabricante.  British Performance provides comprehensive repair services for Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles. 

By mid-summer, the British Performance space will be transformed and ready for Illusions Unlimited customers.  Illusions Unlimited is a well-established hair and nail salon that offers skin care treatments, and a wide selection of hair and skin care products.

The Planning and Transportation Commission on Monday gave the green light to a 2,870-square-foot pizzeria with an outdoor patio in the Los Alisos Village shopping center.

All Star Pizza will be open in the spot that formerly housed a Mediterranean restaurant in the shopping center at the intersection of Los Alisos and Trabuco Road. The family-oriented eatery will sell wine and beer and serve pizza, salads and other moderately-priced fare seven days a week.  It will cater to youth athletic teams and family events and will have several TVs showing live sporting events and other programming.

The 500-square-foot outdoor patio will be enhanced with landscaping, fencing and upgrades to existing planter walls along with picnic-style seating. The restaurant is expected to open sometime in June.

Irwin Bornstein, who led Mission Viejo’s financial ship for over two decades, was recently feted by the California Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO) association.

Irwin served as Assistant City Manager/Director of Administrative Services and retired last June after 23 years of service to the City of Mission Viejo. He recently received the CSMFO Distinguished Service Award, which is the highest honor bestowed by the CSMFO association.  Irwin has served the municipal finance industry for his entire professional career and has been actively involved in CSMFO, even serving as president of the organization in 1990. 

“Irwin is an exemplary finance professional and well deserving of this prestigious award,” said Cheryl Dyas, Director of Administrative Services/City Treasurer.  “Irwin’s colleagues and friends at the City, especially those in the Administrative Services Department, congratulate him for this incredible accomplishment.”

If you haven’t been to the Mission Viejo Farmers Market yet, you are missing out on great living products, fresh produce and homemade food. Take Baker’s Best Bread for example: The 10-year-old company is one of many market vendors serving up delectable fare. The company produces gluten-free bread available in an array of favors. Try the apple cinnamon bursting with cinnamon and apple in every bite or the olive bread loaf that pairs perfectly with brie. Enjoy baby baguettes in different varieties like cranberry or savor the tomato focaccia bread, rich in garlic and topped with sundried tomatoes, oregano and olive oil.

Just down the aisle at Mr. Corn Tamales, Hector Contreros is busy serving up tasty tamales. Mr. Corn Tamales has been around for four years offering delicious chicken and pork tamales with green and red sauces. Pair the dish with chips and salsa and you’re in for a savory treat.

Be sure to visit Baker’s Best Bread and Mr. Corn Tamales and all of the wonderful vendors this Friday at the Mission Viejo Farmers Market. The market is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the center courtyard at the Civic Center, 200 Civic Center.

Philian Weygan Allan, a council member from Baguio City, Republic of the Philippines, visited Mission Viejo today to learn about the City’s Community of Character Program.

Allan, who dubs herself as “a woman with a missionary heart, committed to a legacy of honest governance with integrity, character and environmental sensitivity,” received a City Hall tour from Council Member Trish Kelley.

Council Member Kelley is co-founder and co-writer of the Community of Character Program that highlights 12 monthly character qualities – responsibility, respect, thankfulness, caring, perseverance, unity, integrity, service, moral courage, citizenship, fairness, and self control. The program has been implemented in schools, the community and has become a model for other cities – including those in Australia and China – to follow since its inception in 2003.

Allan learned about Mission Viejo’s program, which has received much recognition, on the Internet. In 2004, the League of California Cities awarded the program the prestigious Helen Putnam Award of Excellence, Grand Prize. Later that year, the Community of Character Program was showcased at the League of California Cities Annual Conference in Long Beach where several cities expressed an interest in bringing similar programs to their own cities. The City was invited to the 2005 California Parks and Recreation Services Conference in Sacramento to teach other cities how to bring character programs to their own communities. Five years later, the program was presented at the National Forum on Character Education Conference. It was touted for its community-based effort beyond individual schools and classrooms. Educators and community members of all ages have embraced this special program.

“Mission Viejo’s program is exemplary for a few reasons – we developed and implemented it on our own (as opposed to an established program like Michael Josephson’s Character Counts),” Council Member Kelley said.
“Bill Klimek and I wrote the materials for each of the 12 Mission Viejo character qualities and it was originally 100% developed and implemented by volunteers and is still largely implemented by volunteers.”

Along with providing the character materials to Mission Viejo schools and City facilities, character newsletters are posted on City’s website; posters are displayed on Mission Viejo Television and elsewhere; and the character words are highlighted in the senior citizen newsletters mailed to thousands.

The committee features a student character subcommittee that plans character activities, crafts and supports each of the City’s events as volunteers at character booths. This City takes such pride in this program that a “Character Garden” was even developed at the trailhead of the Oso Creek Trail. Character words are etched on stepping-stones leading to a fountain that summarizes the meaning of the program in the following statement:

“Character is the backbone of greatness. To achieve it, we must live it — for ourselves, for others, for our community.”

For more information about becoming a committee volunteer, providing suggestions for programs, or helping to fund a special project, call 949-470-3061.

The Planning and Transportation Commission on Monday gave the green light for two new restaurants and the sale of alcoholic beverages at a Mediterranean restaurant in Mission Viejo.

A new Panera Bread and Chipotle Mexican Grill are expected to open in late July in the vacant property on Marguerite Parkway that formerly housed Blockbuster.  The restaurants, which are not affiliated, would be next to each other in the building nestled at the northwest corner of Marguerite Parkway and Estanciero Drive. Other tenants in the center include California Pizza Kitchen and Walgreens. Chipotle is a popular family-style Mexican eatery specializing in tacos and burritos. It will serve beer, wine and pre-mixed margaritas. Panera Bread is a chain of bakery-cafe quick casual restaurants in the U.S. and Canada.

Over in the Trabuco Hills center at 27755 Santa Margarita Parkway, the new Grill Hut restaurant received commission approval to serve beer and wine at the eatery that’s expected to open in May next to the newly opened Baja Fish Tacos. Grill Hut serves Mediterranean food in a quick-service style for lunch and dinner. This will be the second Grill Hut restaurant to open in Mission Viejo. The original is located in the Mission Foothill Marketplace Shopping Center off Los Alisos Boulevard.

The Mission Viejo Chamber of Commerce will host a ribbon cutting Friday, Feb. 24, marking the grand opening of Global Tile & Stone.

The event is from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm at 24001 Via Fabricante, #1006 (north of Alicia Parkway). The ribbon cutting ceremony and speeches end at 11:30 a.m.

Global Tile & Stone displays the latest trends in tile, stone, marble, granite, hardwood, and glass in their showroom at 24001 Via Fabricante, #1006 (north of Alicia Parkway). City and elected officials will be on hand for the festivities that will include refreshments, prizes and special discount coupons. 

Last year, local businesses joined together and formed the Mission Viejo Chamber of Commerce to provide opportunities and benefits to help strengthen local businesses. Membership has grown to over 125 members in less than six months.  The Mission Viejo Chamber of Commerce hosts monthly mixers from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month at different businesses throughout the community.  The Annual Chamber Breakfast is scheduled for March 29 at the Mission Viejo Country Club and the Business Showcase is planned for September 6.
For more information, visit www.missionviejochamber.com, send an email to info@missionviejochamber.com or call 949-470-8409.  The annual membership rate is $150.

If you are seeking sales leads, employment opportunities, and a way to find friends, relatives and so much more, then check out a new business database available at the Mission Viejo Library. 

AtoZdatabases is available in the library or from the convenience of your home with your library card and PIN. This Premier Reference and Marketing Database – is updated regularly and includes 30 million business profiles and 220 million residents. The database can help you conduct market research, find mailing lists, relatives and employment.

Business listings are compiled from sources like annual reports, SEC filings, corporate registers, public records, national directory assistance data, thousands of yellow and white page directories, and business directories. 

AtoZdatabases contains unique economic entities not available in other business databases such as non-store front businesses (i.e. eBay businesses); seasonal businesses (like ski resorts); businesses without a phone number (new businesses); Doing Business As (DBAs) and Also Known As (AKAs); LLCs and true franchise ownership shell/holding companies (i.e. Berkshire Hathaway); and other legal entities.

The database has access to 2 million new businesses that are compiled from data sources including Secretary of State filings and new phone connects. Through the database, you can also search 220 million residential listings compiled from national directory assistance data, real estate deed and tax information, voter registration, mail order data, thousands of white pages, warranty cards, and many other sources.

AtoZdatabases can be found under Business Information in the Electronic Resources section of the library’s webpage: http://cityofmissionviejo.org/Library/ElectronicResources.aspx.

City Hall will be open Monday, February 20 and the City Council will meet at 6 p.m., but residents should be aware of the following Presidents Day holiday schedule for other City facilities.

The Mission Viejo Animal Services Center at 28095 Hillcrest will be closed on Monday, February 20 in honor of the Presidents Day Holiday. Limited staff will be available to respond to emergency calls only. If you have an emergency during the closure, leave a message and staff will respond.  The center will reopen on Tuesday at 11 a.m.

The Mission Viejo Library at 100 Civic Center will be open with normal operating hours from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday, February 20.

The Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center at 24932 Veterans Way will be closed on Monday for the holiday and will reopen at 8 a.m. on Tuesday.

Recreation Centers:  The Montanoso Recreation & Fitness Center at 25800 Montanoso Drive; Sierra Recreation and Fitness Center at 26887 Recodo Lane; Marguerite Tennis Center at 23840 Marguerite Parkway; and Felipe Tennis Center at 27161 Nogal will all be open normal operating hours on Monday.

For more information or to request any service, call the City’s main number at 949-470-3000. Residents can also take advantage of using the City’s innovative Access MV 24/7 system, which is accessible from the City’s homepage at www.cityofmissionviejo.org. The system is also available via iPhone and Droid 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.