Rancho Santa Margarita / South Orange County
Rancho Santa Margarita has two grocery nodes. Plaza Antonio (22351 Antonio Parkway) is a 170,000 SF center leased by Westar Associates and anchored by Pavilions and CVS, with a full shop roster that includes Starbucks, Bruegger's Bagels, Nekter Juice Bar, Mountain Mike's Pizza, a Chase bank pad and several salons and fitness studios. The Town Center on Santa Margarita Parkway pairs Target (30602) and Trader Joe's (30652) with inline shops such as Ulta (30682), Great Clips (30592) and Hand & Stone. Albertsons, Vons and Sprouts list no Rancho Santa Margarita store on their own locators, so Pavilions and Trader Joe's are the only traditional grocers we could confirm in the city.
Population
46,990
Median HHI
$152,560
Median age
40.9
Homeownership
72.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates.
Primary retail corridors
Santa Margarita Parkway · Antonio Parkway · Alma Aldea · Avenida de Las Flores
Specific shopping centers in Rancho Santa Margarita that already carry credible co-tenancy for this use. Listed in approximate order of fit.
22361–22451 Antonio Parkway
Anchors / key tenants: Pavilions, CVS Pharmacy, Wells Fargo
Size: 170,000 SF
Westar-owned neighborhood center at Antonio Pkwy / SR-241 with about 61,000 cars a day per the owner. Serves Rancho Santa Margarita plus Coto de Caza, Dove Canyon, Robinson Ranch, Las Flores, and northern Mission Viejo. The premium positioning node in town.
30602–30616 Santa Margarita Parkway
Anchors / key tenants: Target, Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas, ULTA, Trader Joe's, Walgreens, Big 5, Tilly's
Master-planned community town center on Santa Margarita Pkwy. Trader Joe's is ~10,826 SF and ULTA Beauty is ~11,746 SF — proven beauty, grocery, and entertainment co-tenancy.
Existing operators are the most honest comp for whether a use can support Rancho Santa Margarita rents. These are publicly visible grocery-anchored retail space businesses currently trading in the market.
Pavilions (Antonio Pkwy)
22451 Antonio Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
Per Pavilions' locator. Westar Associates' roster for Plaza Antonio shows Pavilions in Building A at 57,000 SF, with CVS/pharmacy at 12,586 SF in E-140.
Trader Joe's (Store #27)
30652 Santa Margarita Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
Per Trader Joe's locator. Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa lists Suite F101A at the same 30652 address.
Target (Rancho Santa Margarita)
30602 Santa Margarita Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
Per Target's locator. The City lists Santa Margarita Town Center at 30602 to 30616 Santa Margarita Parkway.
Ulta Beauty (Store 499)
30682 Santa Margarita Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
Inline tenant. Ulta's own store data names the center Rancho Santa Margarita Town Center.
Great Clips (Santa Margarita Towne Center)
30592 Santa Margarita Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
Inline tenant. Great Clips' salon page lists the center as Santa Margarita Towne Center.
01
Zoning: Table 9.03.4 in Section 9.03.080 lists Retail sales and services as P in both the Commercial General (CG) and Commercial Neighborhood (CN) districts, but the CN row says department stores, warehouses and other large retail sales and services stores are not permitted. Confirm the parcel's district and ask Planning whether a full-size supermarket box counts as large retail in CN.
02
Beer and wine: Alcoholic beverage retail sale (including wine tasting) is C in both CG and CN, a conditional use permit under Section 9.08.110. A specialty grocer or market with a wine section should budget for that hearing.
03
Parking: Section 9.06.070 parks food stores, grocery stores and supermarkets at 1 space per 200 SF, and shopping centers at 1 per 200 SF of gross floor area, with the Development Services Director able to require more if the mix of uses adds up. Medical and dental offices (1 per 150 SF) and barber, beauty and manicure shops (1 per 150 SF) park harder than the center rate, and Plaza Antonio's roster already includes Marque Urgent Care (3,592 SF), Elite Dentistry and several nail and hair salons. Ask for the center's parking count against its current roster.
04
Plaza Antonio availability: the Westar roster read on 2026-09-24 shows only two open suites, A-145 (1,100 SF) and C-210 (1,696 SF). This is a small-shop opportunity, not an anchor or junior box. Ask Westar for the list of uses Pavilions and CVS restrict before you submit an LOI.
05
Town Center addresses: the catalog gives 30602 to 30616 Santa Margarita Parkway, but Ulta (30682) and Great Clips (30592) both place themselves in the Town Center, and the City's commercial districts page lists a second Town Center location at 22195 El Paseo with CBRE as leasing agent. Confirm which owner and which recorded CC&Rs cover a given suite before counting on Target and Trader Joe's co-tenancy.
06
Site work: Section 9.03.080(e) requires site plan review through the site development permit process (Section 9.08.170) for commercial development projects, so any pad, facade or parking change at either center adds a City review step.
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.