Newport Beach / Coastal Orange County
Most of Newport Beach's grocery-anchored centers are Irvine Company properties: Corona del Mar Plaza (Bristol Farms), Harbor View Shopping Center (Gelson's), Eastbluff Village Center (Ralphs Fresh Fare) and Crystal Cove Shopping Center on East Coast Highway in Newport Coast (Trader Joe's). Pavilions has three stores, on Bayside Drive, San Miguel Drive and West Balboa Boulevard. San Miguel Drive has two grocers (Gelson's at 1660 and Pavilions at 2660), and Whole Foods sits inside Fashion Island. For inline space next to a grocer, the Irvine Company directories show the widest service mix at Eastbluff (pharmacy, fitness, salon, shipping) and the most specialty retail at Corona del Mar Plaza.
Population
83,845
Median HHI
$156,867
Median age
45.9
Homeownership
52.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates.
Primary retail corridors
Pacific Coast Highway · MacArthur Boulevard · Jamboree Road · Newport Center Drive · East Coast Highway
Specific shopping centers in Newport Beach that already carry credible co-tenancy for this use. Listed in approximate order of fit.
800–984 Avocado Avenue, Newport Beach
Anchors / key tenants: Bristol Farms, Tommy Bahama, Chico's
Irvine Company-owned Mediterranean-style destination center less than a mile from Fashion Island. Upscale coastal-village positioning with grocery (Bristol Farms), specialty retail, and full-service dining. Recurring affluent customer pattern from Corona del Mar and Newport Coast.
Existing operators are the most honest comp for whether a use can support Newport Beach rents. These are publicly visible grocery-anchored retail space businesses currently trading in the market.
Bristol Farms Newport Beach
810 Avocado Avenue, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Bristol Farms' own store page places it in Corona del Mar Plaza (800 to 984 Avocado Avenue), an Irvine Company center. The owner's directory lists 26 other tenants, including Sur La Table, Tommy Bahama, Chico's, White House Black Market, Bluemercury, GLO Nail Bar, Peet's Coffee and Gulfstream.
Gelson's Newport Beach
1660 San Miguel Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Confirmed on Gelson's own store page. It anchors Irvine Company's Harbor View Shopping Center (1610 to 1666 San Miguel Drive, at San Joaquin Hills Road), whose directory also lists Nekter Juice Bar, Fresh Brothers, OrangeTwist, The Pet Oasis, US Bank and CDM Cleaners.
Ralphs Fresh Fare, Eastbluff Village Center
Eastbluff Village Center, 2400 to 2555 Eastbluff Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Listed in Irvine Company's directory for Eastbluff Village Center with CVS Pharmacy, Starbucks, Supercuts, YogaSix, The UPS Store, Bank of America and zpizza. ralphs.com was not reachable, so the store's own address was not confirmed.
Trader Joe's (store 125)
8086 E Pacific Coast Highway, Newport Beach, CA 92657
Confirmed on Trader Joe's own locator. Irvine Company's directory for Crystal Cove Shopping Center (7845 to 8085 East Coast Highway) lists it, along with Williams-Sonoma, Banana Republic, Gap, Mastro's Ocean Club, Bear Flag Fish Company, Blk Dot Coffee and Chase Bank.
Whole Foods Market
401 Newport Center Drive, Suite 415, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Listed on Fashion Island's own directory. A grocer inside the regional mall rather than a neighborhood center.
Pavilions Bayside Dr
1000 Bayside Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Confirmed on Pavilions' own store locator.
Pavilions San Miguel Dr
2660 San Miguel Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Confirmed on Pavilions' own store locator. Same street as Gelson's at Harbor View.
Pavilions Balboa Blvd
3100 W Balboa Boulevard, Newport Beach, CA 92663
Confirmed on Pavilions' own store locator. The only grocer we confirmed on Balboa Boulevard.
01
Use table: the Zoning Code's definition of Retail Sales, General (Chapter 20.70) lists grocery stores and supermarkets. Table 2-5 permits Retail Sales by right in the CC, CG, CM and CN districts and does not allow it in CV. In the office districts (Table 2-4), retail under 10,000 sq ft is permitted in OG, OM and OR and needs a minor use permit in OA; 10,000 sq ft or more needs a conditional use permit in OA and is not allowed in OG, OM or OR. A warehouse-format grocer may instead be Bulk Merchandise (groceries are a listed example), which Table 2-5 allows only in CG and CN.
02
Beer and wine: Alcohol Sales (off-sale), Accessory Only is permitted in all five retail districts when the store holds or seeks an ABC Type 20 or 21 license, alcohol is accessory to food sales, and alcohol display takes no more than 30 percent of net floor area. Above that, Alcohol Sales (off-sale) needs a minor use permit under Section 20.48.030, decided by the Zoning Administrator after a public hearing (Section 20.52.020).
03
Parking: Table 3-10 (Section 20.40.040) sets Food and Beverage Sales at 1 space per 200 sq ft of gross floor area and Retail Sales at 1 per 250. Under Section 20.40.050, a center of 100,000 sq ft or less with restaurants at no more than 15 percent of its floor area can use 1 per 200 overall, but any tenant of 10,000 sq ft or more must meet its own use rate. Section 20.40.020.B applies the chapter to any change or intensification of use, and a reduction needs a conditional use permit (Section 20.40.110.B).
04
Zoning district for the parcel: confirm it on the City's Address Lookup and Maps tool before relying on Tables 2-4 and 2-5. The City keeps separate Planned Community development plans with their own rules, and we did not confirm which districts cover Corona del Mar Plaza, Harbor View, Eastbluff Village Center or Crystal Cove Shopping Center.
05
Coastal sites: for Crystal Cove Shopping Center and Corona del Mar Plaza near Coast Highway, and the Pavilions on West Balboa Boulevard, ask Planning whether the parcel is in the coastal zone and whether a remodel or expansion needs review under the City's Local Coastal Program Implementation Plan.
06
Code version: the City-hosted Zoning Code chapters we read are the October 26, 2010 adopted text, and the current online code has moved to eCode360, which refused automated requests. A third-party copy showing amendments through Ord. 2026-6 (June 9, 2026) matched the Table 2-4 and 2-5 entries above, but the Chapter 20.40 parking ratios could not be cross-checked, so confirm them with Planning.
Zoning, licensing, and demographic figures on this page come from the public records below. Codes and licenses change, so confirm with the city and the licensing agency before you sign.