News

By Daily Pilot staff

March 3, 2017, 5:35 PM

A popular strip mall along Eastside Costa Mesa’s 17th Street Promenade is for sale, according to a listing on LoopNet.com.

The roughly 4.3-acre property at 250-298 E. 17th — whose tenants include local businesses such as Sidecar Doughnuts, Pie-Not and Mi Casa and larger chains such as Starbucks and Supercuts — has an asking price of $26.46 million.

The building contains about 56,000 square feet of space. It was built in the early 1960s but has been renovated multiple times since.

It is fully leased.

Costa Mesa UPS driver named to Circle of Honor

UPS driver Linzi Philips of Costa Mesa has been inducted into the Atlanta-based company’s Circle of Honor for her safe driving habits.

She was among 172 drivers in California noted for delivering packages for 25 years or more without an accident. Philips works for UPS out of Anaheim.

Globally, 9,349 active UPS drivers are in the Circle of Honor, according to a news release.

“My thanks go to all of them for their dedication and focus and for the countless lives they’ve saved,” George Willis, president of UPS’ West Region, said in a statement. “Their attention to detail has kept them safe and has helped improve public safety.”

Roger’s Gardens to host Spring Celebration

Roger’s Gardens in Corona del Mar invites the public to attend a free weekend event this month marking the arrival of spring.

The Spring Celebration from March 24 to 26 will feature artistic floral displays, seminars and other events.

Roger’s Gardens is at 2301 San Joaquin Hills Road. For more information, visit rogersgardens.com or call (949) 640-5800.

Stater Bros. expands online grocery service in O.C.

Stater Bros. Markets has expanded its use of Instacart online grocery ordering and delivery in Orange County to include locations such as Newport Beach, Fountain Valley, Laguna Beach and Huntington Beach.

“Partnering with the best, most beloved local grocery retailers is a key cornerstone of our business,” Nilam Ganenthiran, senior vice president of business development for Instacart, said in a statement. “From the onset of operating our grocery ordering and home delivery service through Stater Bros.’ Costa Mesa location, our customers have been thrilled to shop with Stater Bros. and have been asking for more Orange County coverage.”

For more information about the service and its fees, visit instacart.com/stater-bros.

Newport company breaks ground on Long Beach housing development

Newport Beach-based Integral Communities recently broke ground on Riverdale, a gated 131-unit community of detached single-family homes in Long Beach.

Integral is working on the project with Irvine-based Brandywine Homes, according to a news release.

The development’s grand opening is scheduled for August. When complete, it will contain homes ranging from 1,900 to 2,250 square feet. Prices are expected to start in the low $600,000s.

Westin hotel announces staffing changes

Juan Manrique has been named account director of business travel at the Westin South Coast Plaza hotel in Costa Mesa.

Manrique, a graduate of UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara, previously was a business development manager with Starwood Hotels and Resorts, according to a news release.

In addition, the Westin’s Monique Frankfort was promoted to director of group sales. She joined the Costa Mesa hotel in 2010 as a sales account director.

Sweet Lady Jane closes in Corona del Mar

Sweet Lady Jane’s Corona del Mar location has closed.

The Los Angeles-area chain opened the location at 3732 E. Coast Hwy. in fall 2015. It served desserts, breakfast and lunch.

The company said in a statement on the Corona del Mar store’s Facebook page that it is “in the process of reevaluating our retail store location in the Newport area.”

Souplanation in Costa Mesa closes

Costa Mesa’s Souplantation restaurant closed recently.

The soup and salad buffet chain’s location in the Shops at Mesa Verde center lost its lease because its landlord plans to redo the commercial center, according to the Orange County Register.

Souplantation’s parent company, Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp., filed for bankruptcy protection months earlier, but the filing did not affect or cause closures in Orange County, the Register reported.

Huntington Beach dealership wins top Honda award

American Honda Motor Co. Inc. has named Norm Reeves Honda Superstore in Huntington Beach a winner of the Honda President’s Award for 2016.

“Only the top-performing 152 Honda dealerships, from among more than 1,000 nationwide, received this award for excellence in sales performance, sales experience, service performance and business operations,” the company said in a news release.

Norm Reeves, at 19131 Beach Blvd., was founded in 1994.

UC Irvine launches tech research hub

The Institute for Money, Technology and Financial Inclusion at UC Irvine has launched a new research hub.

Aiding in the effort is the Filene Research Institute, a Wisconsin-based credit union and consumer finance think tank.

The hub will be “dedicated to the study of how emerging technologies affect credit union business practices and clients,” the university said in a news release.

A first report, expected to be released this year, will “explore the drivers of financial technology change and consumer adoption. It will include recommendations to help credit union leaders make wiser decisions,” according to the hub’s leader, visiting Filene research fellow Richard Swart.

Newport Dunes to host bridal show

A bridal show is coming to the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort in Newport Beach from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 26.

Admission is $5 at the door, or free with registration by emailing bridalshow@newportdunes.com.