Santa Barbara’s McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream is opening its first Orange County scoop shop Thursday, Nov. 21 at the River Street Marketplace in San Juan Capistrano.
The company, founded 70 years ago, makes all of its traditional ice cream from scratch using three main ingredients: cream, eggs and sugar. Ice cream flavors are leveled up with additions like jam, chocolate, caramel, coffee, nuts, fruit, crumbles and more.
Seasonal flavors include Martinelli’s apple cider and cranberry jam, reindeer tracks and pumpkin spiced latte. There’s also vanilla with California brittle, coffee with molasses chips and scoops that feature See’s Candies.
Dairy fans, prepare your stomach for this one: McConnell’s creamy concoctions are loaded with 18% milk fat, considered among the highest percentage in the ice cream industry.
For customers who skip the dairy, there are oat-milk based options including passion fruit lemon swirl, chocolate fudge, salted caramel chocolate swirl, vanilla and a peanut-butter chocolate crunch. McConnell’s also sells fresh-baked cookies in chocolate chunk, brownie and peanut butter crunch.
Address: 31864 Paseo Adelanto Suite 104 San Juan Capistrano
Barber shop opens at The District
Perhaps you’ve seen the popular social media videos that feature amazing makeovers of young men at the barber shop. The trend is all about the “high fade,” which trims hair close to the scalp along the sides and leaves a longer mop of hair on top.
Well, fans of the high fade can get that same look at Golden Vision Barber Shop, a new “grooming destination” at The District at Tustin Legacy.
Golden Vision features haircuts, beard trims and hair designs, according to the retail center’s landlord, Vestar.
The shop is in The Promenade next to RAKKAN Ramen. Address: 2437 Park Ave.
Christmas tree lightings
The Outlets at San Clemente will unveil its Santa Clemente Village installation at its 10th annual Tree Lighting Concert and Ceremony at 5 pm Saturday, Nov. 16. The village includes Santa’s house, a surf shop, a coastal-inspired post office, a candy store and other holiday storefronts – all surrounding the center’s Christmas tree. Country singer Caleb Lee Hutchinson will headline the celebration’s concert with performances from Calvary Chapel, the Full Circle Boys and students from OCSA’s Montage.
South Coast Plaza will hold its tree lighting ceremony at 6:30 pm, Thursday, Nov. 21 at the Westin hotel (Town Center Park) adjacent to the shopping center. Students from Orange County School of the Arts will perform.
Crystal Cove will light its tree and greet Santa Claus on the sand at sundown Saturday, Dec. 7. The festivities in front of the Beachcomber restaurant include a meet-and-greet with Santa, who arrives by lifeguard truck just before the sun hits the horizon. The conservancy also serves cookies, hot chocolate and hot cider to guests before the tree is lit after sundown. Visitors can park across the street at Los Trancos parking lot on Pacific Coast Highway. A shuttle goes between the lot and the entrance near the restaurant.
Ambry Genetics sold again, this time for $600M
Aliso Viejo-based Ambry Genetics is being acquired by Tempus AI Inc., an artificial intelligence tech company focused on healthcare, in a deal valued at $600 million.
Chicago-based Tempus announced the deal Monday, Nov. 4 in its third-quarter earnings report.
Ambry, a genetics testing company founded in 1999 by Charles Dunlop, was acquired in 2017 by Tokyo-based digital technology company Konica Minolta in a deal valued at nearly $1 billion.
Tempus said it will pay $375 million in cash and $225 million in shares at closing.
The Ambry acquisition, Tempus said, will provide it with expanded testing capabilities for inherited cancer risk and new disease categories, including pediatrics, rare disease, immunology, women’s reproductive health and cardiology.
Milestones
Goodwill of Orange County celebrated its centennial with a gala on Saturday, Oct. 5, raising more than $520,000 to support the nonprofit’s programs which go toward helping at-risk residents gain work experience and career development.
Fundraisers & grants
Olive Crest in Santa Ana recently was awarded a $225,000 grant from Northgate González Market, which collected donations from its customers. The nonprofit, which serves 5,000 children and families daily in the Western U.S., credited Northgate for its support over 11 years. The money will go toward Olive Crest programs that help prevent child abuse by supporting families in crisis. For more information about the organization, contact Rhonda Tagge via email at Rhonda-tagge@olivecrest.org.
Beyond Blindness set a tournament record, raising more than $132,000 at its annual Dr. Frank Villalobos Fall Golf Classic held Oct. 14 at Coto de Caza Golf & Racquet Club. The money will go toward Beyond Blindness programs, which help children with sight challenges through early intervention, education and enrichment and family support services. For more information, go to beyondblindness.org
Extraordinary Lives Foundation, a children’s mental health and emotional wellness nonprofit, raised roughly $200,000 at its comedy night fundraiser held Oct. 23 at the Marconi Automotive Museum. Gala proceeds will support ELF’s two biggest programs, Piggie BEAR and the Children’s Emotional Wellness Week. For more information about ELF, go to elfempowers.org.
On board
Stefan Bean, Orange County superintendent of schools for the Orange County Department of Education, was recently appointed to the board of directors at the Orange County Business Council. He was appointed last June as the county’s 12th superintendent of schools and previously was executive director of Irvine International Academy.
Status Update is compiled and written by Business Editor Samantha Gowen. Submit items and high-resolution photos to sgowen@scng.com. Allow at least one week for publication. Items are edited for length and clarity.
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