The River Street Marketplace in San Juan Capistrano is officially open, breathing new life into the south Orange County destination just steps from the train station.
A decade in the making, patrons are now trickling into the 60,000-square-foot, $70 million development to get a sneak peek as some 30 businesses put final touches on their establishments.
The new hub, still in the soft-opening phase, has a mix of retail, restaurants, a meat market and a food hall, as well as other offerings such as a pilates studio, flower shop, farm-style community tables and a grassy gathering place for visitors on nearly 6 acres that were once a large nursery.
“With River Street Marketplace, our goal was clear: To celebrate San Juan Capistrano’s rich heritage while creating something new and fresh and something that folks can enjoy for years to come,” said Dan Almquist, managing partner of real estate developer ALMQUIST. “The response from the community has been amazing and we’re so grateful.”
While more than a dozen eateries will draw visitors in to dine and drink, the retail side of the development includes a mix of mostly locally owned shops that curate unique products for customers.
For longtime San Juan Capistrano resident Stacey Fitts, opening up her Pick Me Flower Boutique has been a dream since she first heard about the River Street plans.
The shop offers grab-and-go bouquets and creates custom arrangements, but also offers other items such as candles, pottery and fragrances, all selected from other small, women-owned businesses.
“I hope (customers) are inspired to bring beauty into their home with flowers and to give beautiful bouquets as gifts to friends that will brighten their day,” said Fitts, who has been in the flower industry for 37 years.
She’s excited about what River Street means for drawing in new visitors to see the special place she calls home.
“I think it’s going to have an amazing impact on San Juan Capistrano. I feel like San Juan is a new location on the map that people are coming to see, things they should have seen a long time ago,” she said, noting that visitors to River Street may stop at the Mission San Juan Capistrano for the first time, or meander through the Los Rios historic district.
Several shops give a nod to the rich Western culture still celebrated in the historic town, such as Austin-based Tecovas, selling high-quality boots, leather and denim apparel and accessories. Wildfire Mercantile is another boutique that offers Western-lifestyle clothing and apparel, including cowboys hats and boots.
Seager is a San Clemente clothing brand that combines both Western and surf lifestyles, founded in 2015 by a group of friends who wanted to make apparel and outdoor gear that would embrace the “grit and ruggedness of the Old West.” This is their first brick-and-mortar location, with apparel and outdoor gear and equipment such as tents, backpacks and more.
“This location totally checked off all the boxes for us and best of all, we’re like a five-minute drive from some of the best surfing in the world,” said Mattson Smith, one of Seager’s CEOs.
Smith and partners Elliott Shaw and Case Anderson knew the area had a lot of foot traffic, a place they personally enjoy visiting and just the right spot for their flagship store.
“The response has been epic for us,” said Smith, who added the interest has already exceeded expectations. “We’re really excited about it. It’s our first store, we’re trying to keep our expectations grounded but very excited for all that’s ahead.”
Anderson noted that with the combination of the equestrian community and also being less than 2 miles from the beach made the new development the ideal place for their shop.
“We’re so blessed. This is perfect for us. Families running in the grass, there’s dogs everywhere. It’s really community,” he said. “You can’t ask for anything better. We love it.”
Visitors will also be able to get surfwear and coastal-inspired products at retailers Hobie Surf Shop and Toes on the Nose, specialty lifestyle shops born in Orange County and well-known fixtures in the surf world.
Hobie, which opened its first retail shop 70 years ago in nearby Dana Point, is launching its latest shop with an exclusive partnership with brands Vissla, Florence Marine X and Patagonia.
In 1954, Hobie was one of the first surf shops in the region to become a hub for surfers looking for new boards and gear, influencing the surf culture for years to come.
“They are the ones who created it,” Jake Schwaner, co-owner of Hobie Surf Shops, said of the company’s founder Hobie Alter and fellow early-era surfers. “These guys just all laid around on the beach, deciding what they wanted to do with their lives: ‘We don’t want to wear hard-sole shoes, a suit and tie or work east of the Pacific Coast Highway, so let’s do this.’”
Just hours after opening its doors for the first time on Thursday, customers strolled the shop to check out the offerings, which included clothing and wetsuits, surfboards and other merchandise like coffee table books focusing on surf history and culture. Historic photos adorn the walls and large posterboards tell the story of Hobie Alter and Dick Metz, who helped expand the Hobie retail operation through the years.
The shop will also offer some of Hobie’s in-house brands, including Fragile Ocean, Velzy and SanO Boardriding Co.
Laguna Beach-based Toes on the Nose, a family-owned and operated surf apparel company that started in 1992, is opening its third location the River Street Marketplace.
There are several women’s wear boutiques opening as well, including Shop Common Thread and Free People, as well as May Martin, a jewelry brand and specialty boutique founded in 2014 in Costa Mesa.
SALT is an independent premium eyewear brand from Japan and Studio Pilates offers a place for a “luxurious boutique studio experience.”
Rowan, a California-based apparel brand, is still putting finishing touches on its shop in the marketplace and will open in coming days. It carries men’s and women’s apparel and goods, and donates 1% of sales to the National Fatherhood Initiative.
Aaron Ashton, of Capistrano Beach, soaked in the new venue’s vibe during Thursday’s soft-opening celebration.
“It’s great, I think San Juan really needed something like this,” Ashton said, looking out to the common area where kids can run and play and tables are set out under bistro lights. “It’s great restaurants, great beer, good atmosphere for everyone to come and hang out.”
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