As New Restaurants Gain in Popularity, and More Arrive, the Center Bids a Fond Farewell to its Saturday Food Trucks– and the SOCO Saturday Farmers’ Market is Here to Stay!
COSTA MESA, Calif. (July 31, 2013) – What began as an unassuming home design center in 2009 has now become one of Orange County’s hottest destinations for design, style and – most importantly to food aficionados – cooking and dining. SOCO and The OC Mix, located just off the 405 Freeway in Costa Mesa, California, offer 12 unique eateries to choose from, running the gourmet gamut from the just-opened Greenleaf ChopShop to the foodie favorite ARC to Surfas Culinary District, which not only supplies the best ingredients and tools for professional and home chefs, but also features a popular café. The center also offers the robust SOCO Farmers’ Market every Saturday from 9am to 2pm.
“Our goal has always been to make SOCO and The OC Mix a destination for inspiration, whether you are passionate about design, style, food – or all three,” says Scott Burnham, chairman and CEO of Burnham USA, who operates the center. (A division of Burnham USA, Burnham-Ward Properties, also owns the center).
As SOCO and The OC Mix continue to draw visitors locally, regionally, and even internationally, more restaurants and culinary businesses have been drawn to its unique setting. Most recently, Greenleaf ChopShop – Southern California’s favorite gourmet salad eatery – opened its doors at SOCO in mid-July and is serving their famous custom-made premium salads, wraps. Greenleaf at SOCO offers both indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a wide array of convenient to-go options for the whole family.
Also coming soon to the center is Taco Maria, which is set to open at The OC Mix in August. The location will be the first brick-and-mortar location for the wildly popular OC food and catering truck established by Orange County native, Michelin- starred Chef Carlos Salgado.
While SOCO and The OC Mix are excited to greet these exciting new eateries to the center – including a famed food truck-turned-restaurant – the burgeoning permanent, in-center dining scene has necessitated a move toward supporting the growth of these establishments and a need to bid farewell to the gourmet food trucks that have previously been a part of the SOCO Farmers Market on Saturdays.
“For nearly three years, we have hosted gourmet food trucks at SOCO, and have enjoyed working side by side with them to build our businesses, together,” says Anais Tangie, Marketing Director for SOCO and The OC Mix. “Our center’s growth now mandates a shift to guiding people to discover our permanent, on-property culinary destinations. As we say goodbye to the food trucks, we wish them well and know they will continue to succeed.”
While the robust SOCO Farmers Market, run locally by the non-profit Sprouts of Promise Foundation, will continue its presence at the center every Saturday, this Saturday, August 3, marks the last food truck service at the market. SOCO and The OC Mix are encouraging people to come out and dine at the trucks as a way to enjoy a great meal, say ‘thank you’ to the trucks, and to wish these hard-working business owners well.
“Making SOCO and The OC Mix a world-class culinary destination is our long-term goal as we expand the unique food options,” says Tangie. “In addition, we are coordinating with our center restaurants to provide perks for Farmers Market supporters to truly support our mantra of SHOP. BUY. LOCAL.”
Beginning on Saturday, August 10th, Greenleaf at SOCO will give “Perks for Produce” – meaning, for every $10 of Farmers’ Market produce a shopper purchases, Greenleaf at SOCO will offer a refreshing mimosa or fresh squeezed juice, on the house. The center plans to add other, similar promotions in the coming weeks.
SOCO and The OC Mix dining and culinary options include: ARC, Birdie Bowl and Juicery, The Cheese Shop, Christopher Garrens, Greenleaf Gourmet ChopShop, The Iron Press, Portola, Savory Spice Shop, Seventh Tea, Shuck Oyster Bar, Surfas Culinary District and Café Surfas, Taco Maria (coming soon), Waiiha Sushi, and We Olive Wine Bar. For a full list of SOCO and The OC Mix offerings, and for information and menus, please visit www.sococollection.com and www.shoptheocmix.com.