The Promenade on the Peninsula appears to be on its way to revival after years of largely empty storefronts and shuttered businesses. New businesses have been joining the once-vibrant mall on the Hill, with more on the way.

Recently Opened Businesses

While the Promenade lost Ruby’s Diner, one of its final holdouts formerly located next to the LA Kings Ice rink, earlier this year, several businesses have recently joined the Promenade, filling in empty spaces along the main boardwalk.

Earlier this year, Daisy Buchanan’s Pizza Bar joined the mall in the second-floor space that was formerly Red Brick Pizza. The restaurant serves “bar pizzas,” pasta dishes like vodka rigatoni and chicken piccata, and salads. There is also a beer and wine list, and they offer a selection of board games for guests to enjoy as they eat and drink.

“Since the 1940s, bar pizza has been a working-class tradition in the pubs, taverns and dive bars on the South Shore of Boston,” the Daisy Buchanan’s website states. “Made in a 10-inch pan, it's the perfect size to enjoy on your own or order a bunch for the table if you're hanging out with some friends. Our special cheese blend gives it that fantastic, buttery taste and the crust is crisp and biscuit-y.”

This fall, misc. coffee joined the Promenade in between Good Stuff and Big Island Eats & Shave Ice on the main boardwalk. Misc. offers coffee, lattes and refreshers. It also has cloud einspanners on its menu, which offers an additional cream layer atop a coffee beverage.

Misc. fills a much-needed gap for coffee at the Promenade after the loss of the Starbucks on the corner of Deep Valley Drive during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A new restaurant, Sugo Social, is now open on the second level of the Promenade, up the stairs across from Fuego Cravings and Conscious Ink. The restaurant serves New American cuisine with fusion twists, including dishes like bone-in ribeye, brick-roasted chicken and stone pot Korean bibimbap.

“'Sugo' means 'you did a great job today' in Korean and 'sauce' in Italian, reflecting our dedication to creating meals that inspire and connect,” the Sugo website states. “We carry that spirit into every dish we serve, offering our guests not only a delicious dining experience but also a warm, welcoming atmosphere. “

Businesses Coming Soon

Several empty storefronts remain along the main boardwalk, but it looks like those will be filled soon. Kickin’ Kolaches has “coming soon” signage up in the former AT&T space next to Conscious Ink. There is no word yet on when to expect it to open, but it looks like the space is still under construction.

Next to that space and near longtime holdout Chico’s, a new boba spot called Nara has signage up. It looks like this spot is further along toward an opening than Kickin’ Kolaches, as the interior looks largely complete.

While the main boardwalk is filling up, many empty spaces remain on the rest of the ground floor and on the second floor. However, it looks like some spaces have already been leased to bring new concepts to some of those areas. Signage for Odyssey VR, a virtual reality (VR) arcade that also has a location at the Irvine Spectrum Center, has appeared in the former Abercrombie & Fitch space near the ice rink, The Game Chest and The Sports Complex.

The Odyssey VR website indicates that it is a virtual reality arcade merged with a cafe and bar concept. Menu items include crepes, waffles, flatbreads and coffee.

There is also word of a couple other tenants that have signed leases. Real estate website LoopNet indicates that space has been leased to a high-end bowling alley and Pho Redbo, which has one location in Garden Grove. As of now, it is unclear which spaces these tenants have leased.

Revitalization

The new and coming businesses are beginning to breathe life into the long-dormant space. Now, a stroll through the Promenade on a Friday afternoon reveals a somewhat revitalized community gathering space. High school students walk around, stopping by Big Island Eats or misc. coffee for an after-school treat. The fountains at the center of the mall are on more often now, providing a place for families to gather and children to play. The escalators around the mall are running again, and there are more wooden tables and chairs scattered about the mall to encourage community.

While there are still plenty of spaces that remain empty at the Promenade, it is more lively than it has been in years, indicating that perhaps it is finally on the road to becoming a neighborhood hotspot once more.

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Bio:

Emily McGinn is a journalist based in the Los Angeles area. She enjoys reporting on and writing about a variety of topics from lifestyle to news, especially in her areas of specialty, environmental science and political science.