Irvine (Calif.) Spectrum Center officially unveils a $200 million renovation on Saturday that has seen the conversion of a former Macy’s space into 30 stores, entertainment concepts and restaurants.
Among the openings are an enlarged Apple store plus an H&M and several restaurants, cafés and coffee shops. More retailers will be opening through the rest of this year and also next year.
New retailers and restaurants sit on the site of a former department store
There has also been extensive reconstruction of the center's outdoor sections, including the addition of courtyards, landscaping and furniture.
“We are excited to introduce these new, renowned brands with local roots to Irvine Spectrum Center’s wide range of world-class shopping, dining and entertainment choices,” said Butch Knerr, president of Irvine Company Retail Properties. “This major reinvestment elevates the center’s visitor experience and underscores our long-term commitment to enhancing the Orange County retail landscape.”
Entertainment tenants are integrated with retailers
Upwards of 18 million people visit this Southern California shopping center each year.
Here is a list of tenants set to open Saturday.
• Apple Irvine Spectrum Center, a larger location for trying out Apple’s products
• Hello Kitty Cafe: the brand’s very first café with spirits in addition to dessert, coffee and tea. The opening marks the shop's transition from pop-up status to permanent
• H&M, with a new Southern California flagship store
• Stance: a San Clemente–based sock brand
• Gorjana: locally designed jewelry inspired by the Southern California lifestyle
• 85°C Bakery Café, which specializes in gourmet bread, dessert and beverages at affordable prices
• BLKdot Coffee: espressos and other drinks
• Afters Ice Cream: known for "decadent" ice-cream sandwiches made with a glazed doughnut and toppings
• Concrete Rose: a boutique for fashion-savvy shoppers
• Falasophy: a Lebanese-street-food kitchen that originated in 2014 as a Southern California food truck
• Robata Wasa: a Japanese cuisine and sushi restaurant
• SoHa Living, which brings a Hawaii-based, coastal-living decor brand to Southern California
• The Denim Lab, which helps customers find the perfect pair of jeans
• Ra Yoga: a one-stop shop that offers yoga group classes or private instruction, yoga therapy, Ayurvedic wellness treatments and child care
• UnAffected: a women’s clothing boutique
Below are some of the merchants set to open later this year and beyond.
• Brigade LA: a luxury designer boutique offering ready-to-wear goods, and high-end casual and evening wear for men and women (late 2018)
• Drybar: an Irvine-based group of premier salons specializing in blowouts and professional hair-care products and styling tools (late 2018)
• Sephora (2019)
• SST&C, a Milan, Italy–based men’s wear brand offering stylish and trendy suits, shirts, ties and casual wear (2019)
The new retailers, outdoor social spaces, reimagined carousel, pop-jet fountain, furniture, and an additional parking structure with some 1,500 spaces all represent major reinvestments and transformations. Irvine Company, which has owned and operated Irvine Spectrum Center since its opening, in 1995, announced the renovations in January 2016 as part of marking the 20th anniversary.
Among the existing 175 stores and tenants are Nordstrom and Target, the Improv Comedy Club and a 5,000-seat, 21-screen movie theater with VIP recliners and seat-side service.
By Edmund Mander
Director, Editor-In-Chief/SCT
