Coffee Shop Space in Laguna Niguel

What to diligence before LOI

1. 01

   Seat count sets the category and the parking: Table 4.1 in Section 9-1-42 permits both "Retail Food" and "Restaurants without the sale of alcohol" in the CN, CC, CO, BP and MU-TC districts (not PI). Section 9-1-141 defines retail food as ten or fewer seats, mainly for off-premise consumption and no alcohol, and a restaurant as 11 or more seats. Table 6.5 in Section 9-1-66 then parks retail food at 5 spaces per 1,000 sq ft and restaurants up to 4,000 sq ft at 10 per 1,000, both counting indoor and outdoor seating area. A 1,500 sq ft cafe needs about 8 spaces with ten seats and 15 with twelve.

2. 02

   Early hours: the footnote to those Table 4.1 rows requires a minor use permit for operations outside 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Starbucks' locator shows the Rancho Niguel and Alicia and Avila stores opening at 4:30 a.m. A minor use permit is decided administratively by the Community Development Director under Section 9-1-114.2 and Table 11.1, so fold it into the lease contingency if your model needs a pre-5:00 a.m. open.

3. 03

   Drive-thru: Table 4.1 lists "Restaurants, Drive-thru" as a use permit in CN, CC and CO and prohibited in BP, PI and the Mixed-Use Town Center. Use permits go to the Planning Commission at a public hearing (Section 9-1-114.2, Table 11.1). Table 6.5 says drive-thru design is reviewed through that use permit, may require a traffic and circulation study, and stacking lanes may not serve as entryways to parking spaces. Section 9-1-112.1 adds hearing notice procedures for blind, aged and disabled residents for drive-thru applications, and Section 9-1-114.2(h) voids the permit if the use is not established within two years.

4. 04

   Patio seating: Table 4.1 has no outdoor dining row, and Section 9-1-42(c) says listed uses are conducted within a completely enclosed building unless the subarticle provides otherwise, while Table 6.5 counts outdoor seating area in the food use parking ratios. Ask Laguna Niguel Planning how a patio is approved at your address and put the patio square footage into the parking count before you promise outdoor tables.

5. 05

   Health plan check and grease: the Orange County Health Care Agency's plan check page cites California Health and Safety Code Section 114380 for plan review of any new or renovated retail food facility, asks for a menu and equipment specification sheets, and says new projects and changes of ownership need a health permit submission. The City's Utilities page lists Moulton Niguel Water District as the water provider, but MNWD's site returned HTTP 403, so confirm with the sewer agency serving the parcel whether an espresso bar with food prep needs a grease interceptor before you draw the plumbing.

6. 06

   Exclusives in the two coffee-anchored centers: Laguna Niguel Plaza (First Washington Realty) already has a 2,150 SF Starbucks among its shop tenants, and The Center at Rancho Niguel's directory lists Starbucks, Jamba Juice, East Coast Bagel Company, SusieCakes and Belgium Waffle Haus. Ask each landlord for its exclusive and prohibited-use list before you tour a suite for coffee.