Byline: Jonathan Shikes
Dec. 10--Not everyone hanging out at Riverside Plaza has a curfew.
So adults looking for something to do after 8 p.m. will have two new options when an upscale lounge and an Irish pub open next to each other in early 2007.
'It will be the grown-up part of Riverside Plaza,' said George Tavaglione, 28, who will turn on the lights at Lounge 33 in January or February.
The additions will help fill out the final section of bustling Riverside Plaza, a decades-old shopping center that was almost entirely demolished in 2003 and rebuilt over the past two years with more than 20 new stores and restaurants.
Catering to urban professionals, Lounge 33 will be small -- about 950 square feet -- but sophisticated, with a patio, couches and a Plexiglas bar illuminated underneath with blue light.
'My whole life, we've been driving out to Orange County to have fun,' said Tavaglione, whose parents owned the now-closed Tava Lanes bowling alley. People in Riverside are usually 'stuck going to a sports bar or a dive bar,' he added.
Lounge 33, with a full bar and menu, will offer 'a new cool, kind of trendy' atmosphere, he said. 'It's something you just don't see in Riverside.'
Killarney's Irish Pub & Grill is scheduled to begin pouring draughts in February or early March -- hopefully before St. Patrick's Day, said co-owner Denise Munson.
Munson and her extended family opened their first pub in Temecula nearly two years ago with advice from the Guinness brewing company, which has helped more than 2,000 would-be tavern owners worldwide with its Irish Pub Concept.
The idea is to recreate an authentic Irish feel, which makes the pubs more popular, according to Guinness. One key is to use fixtures and furniture designed and made in Ireland, Munson said. Killarney's has this feature.
The family chose Riverside after seeing how the Plaza has been remade, Munson said. Other pluses included the building, at the far northeast corner of the Plaza next to El Torito, easy freeway access and proximity to the downtown.
The 5,000-square-foot spot is two-thirds larger than the Temecula pub and will have more menu items and room for shuffleboard and darts, Munson said. It will also feature a wrap around patio, live music and a full range of Irish and English beers.
Riverside Plaza attracts hundreds of teenagers every weekend, who hang out, shop, eat, or go to the movies. Last year, the shopping center began enforcing an 8 p.m. curfew for the under-18 set, although theater customers are allowed to stay.
Carol Scott, general manager of Riverside Plaza, said she is looking forward to the new businesses and is happy with the development of the Plaza in general.
'It's busy,' Scott said. 'Anybody who comes here on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday knows how hard it can be to find a place to park.'
While business has been strong for the theaters, restaurants, grocery stores and Borders bookstore, getting the word out about other stores has been harder, she said.
The question has been, 'How do you get people from Trader Joe's, where they are spending a lot of money, over to the boutiques?' Scott explained.
The recent addition of fashion boutiques, Reggie & Luca and J.D. Myers, as well as La Belle Maison, selling home and garden dcor, which opened recently in the center's new area along De Anza Avenue, should help, she said.
Once the final three spaces are leased, the Plaza will be full. With 34 acres, the Plaza is bordered by Central, Merrill, Riverside and De Anza avenues.
Since store turnover is a natural part of the business, however, the goal now is 'trying to keep things fresh and interesting,' Scott said.
Other recent changes at the Plaza include the brief closure of the Verizon store, which will reopen under new management, and the departure of the Delicious Delights store, which is being replaced by Fashion Passion.
Fazoli's, a fast-food Italian restaurant also plans to close, said Gary Brubaker, co-owner of Tustin's Pasta West, which runs several fast food franchises. The location just wasn't doing well and will be replaced by another fast-food restaurant, he said.
Also, the Spectrum Restaurant Group in Irvine, parent company of Spoons Grill & Bar, has indicated it could replace Spoons with a sports bar.
STILL GROWING
The total amount of leased square footage at Riverside Plaza:
--December 2004: 355,000
--December 2005: 429,000
--December 2006: 459,000 (including Lounge 33 and Killarney's)
SOURCE: Riverside Plaza
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