San Clemente / South Orange County
Avenida Pico carries the most coffee traffic we could confirm: the only Starbucks drive-thru in the city sits at 620 Avenida Pico by I-5, with another Starbucks cafe at 1001 Avenida Pico (Pico and La Pata) and Starbucks counters inside the Albertsons and Pavilions on the same road. On Camino de Los Mares, Brixmor's two neighboring centers each have one: Starbucks (1,800 SF) in Ocean View Plaza and a Better Buzz cafe with a drive-thru (2,200 SF) in Plaza By The Sea. In Talega, Peet's holds 1,640 SF at Talega Village Center. Near the coast, Starbucks has a cafe at 300 S El Camino Real and Bear Coast Coffee roasts across from the pier. Dutch Bros has no San Clemente stand; its nearest listed stand is in Laguna Hills.
Population
63,273
Median HHI
$140,062
Median age
45.6
Homeownership
66.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates.
Primary retail corridors
Avenida Del Mar · El Camino Real · Avenida Pico · Avenida Vista Hermosa · Avenida Talega
Specific shopping centers in San Clemente that already carry credible co-tenancy for this use. Listed in approximate order of fit.
801 Avenida Talega
Anchors / key tenants: Ralphs
Size: 102,273 SF
Regency Centers-owned community center anchoring the Talega master-planned neighborhood. Ralphs (about 46,000 SF) is the only anchor. Fitness in place via Anytime Fitness and Club Pilates. Food is Peet's Coffee plus independents such as BallPark Pizza, Barnoa Wine Bar, Basanti, Fettuccine Marcello, and Kiann's.
1011 Avenida Pico
Anchors / key tenants: daily-needs and service-oriented mix
Upscale architectural pattern with strong ground-floor visibility. Reads as a polished neighborhood center for service retail and lifestyle.
Avenida Del Mar at El Camino Real
Anchors / key tenants: historic downtown dining and surf/lifestyle retail
The walkable historic core of San Clemente — the city's most popular shops, restaurants, and visitor traffic. Tilts toward chef-driven, surf, and boutique formats. Parking and signage restrictions are part of the city's identity.
Existing operators are the most honest comp for whether a use can support San Clemente rents. These are publicly visible coffee shop space businesses currently trading in the market.
Starbucks (Avenida Pico & I-5)
620 Avenida Pico, San Clemente, CA 92673
Company-operated store with a drive-thru, per Starbucks' own locator. It is the only one of the city's eight Starbucks listings that shows a drive-thru.
Starbucks (Ocean View Plaza)
638 Camino de Los Mares, Space 74, San Clemente, CA 92673
Starbucks lists this store as 'Camino De Los Mares & Calle Ag'. Brixmor's leasing page shows Starbucks in space 74 at 1,800 SF in the Ralphs and Trader Joe's center.
Starbucks (Outlets at San Clemente, Pico & La Pata, and downtown)
101 W Avenida Vista Hermosa; 1001 Avenida Pico; 300 S El Camino Real, San Clemente, CA
Three more company-operated cafes on Starbucks' locator, none with a drive-thru. The Outlets store also appears in the Outlets at San Clemente directory. Starbucks also lists licensed counters inside Albertsons (804 Avenida Pico), Pavilions (989 Avenida Pico) and Target (Avenida Vista Hermosa).
Peet's Coffee & Tea (Talega Village Center)
801-B Avenida Talega, San Clemente, CA 92673
The only San Clemente store in Peet's locator. Regency Centers' roster shows Peet's in suite 2-101 at 1,640 SF in the Ralphs-anchored center.
Better Buzz Coffee (Plaza By The Sea)
610 Camino De Los Mares, San Clemente, CA 92673
Better Buzz's locations page lists it as 'Cafe + Drive Thru', open 4:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Brixmor's Plaza By The Sea roster shows the space at 2,200 SF, next to Stater Bros.
Bear Coast Coffee
618 1/2 Avenida Victoria, San Clemente, CA 92672
Local roaster. Its own site calls this the original location, across from the San Clemente Pier, open 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
01
Drive-through permit: Table 17.36.020 (as amended by Ord. 1808, May 19, 2026) requires a Conditional Use Permit for 'Restaurants with drive-through' in NC 1.2 through CC 4 and does not allow them in NC 1.1. In the mixed-use zones (Table 17.40.030) a drive-through needs a CUP in MU 3.0 through MU 5 and is not allowed in MU 1 (North Beach) or MU 2 (North El Camino Real). A walk-up cafe with no lane is permitted by right in every commercial and mixed-use zone, since the Chapter 17.88 definition of 'Restaurants' includes coffee shops.
02
Drive-through standards in Section 17.28.260: the City Engineer must approve the queuing area, each drive-up window needs a lane with stacking for six vehicles, speakers cannot sit within 30 feet of a residential zone or residential use, and the code suggests hours of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (midnight Friday and Saturday) for sites next to or across an alley from residential zoning. An early-morning coffee lane beside homes should expect an hours condition.
03
Parking and patio seats under Table 17.64.050 and Section 17.28.205: a sit-down cafe parks at 1 space per 4 indoor seats (1 per 5 in mixed-use zones inside the Central Business overlay), while a drive-thru or fast food use parks at 1 per 35 sq ft of public seating plus 1 per 200 sq ft of other floor area. Outdoor seats add no parking up to 8 seats for a cafe with 31 or fewer indoor seats, or up to 16 with 32 or more. The City Planner can approve up to 16 patio seats and four tables on private property without alcohol; more needs a Minor CUP, and sidewalk seating needs a Minor CUP or CUP plus an encroachment permit under Chapter 12.20.
04
Grease interceptor under Chapter 13.30: the City runs its own sewer, and Section 13.30.060 requires every new food service establishment, and any that remodels or changes use, to install a grease interceptor sized to the California Plumbing Code, a grease guard at the roof exhaust fan and an indoor waste oil container, with plans reviewed by the Utilities Manager and a City inspection before opening. Each operator needs its own Discharge Permit (13.30.050), which does not transfer to a new operator. Section 13.30.060.G lets the Utilities Manager waive the interceptor if the operation will release negligible grease, so a drinks-and-pastry concept should ask for that waiver before the lease budget assumes a new interceptor.
05
County health plan check: the OC Health Care Agency's Plan Check unit reviews plans for all new and remodeled food facilities before construction. The approved plans have to be shown to the San Clemente building department, the plan checker allows up to two preliminary inspections and one final, and the annual health permit application and fee are due before the final inspection. Build this review into the time between lease signing and opening.
06
Specific plan sites: Section 17.52.030 says an adopted specific plan operates as the zoning for its property, and Table 17.52.060 lists the Talega (Res. 92-71), Pier Bowl (Res. 93-86) and West Pico Corridor (Ord. 1185) plans among others. Talega Village Center, the pier area around Avenida Victoria and parts of Avenida Pico may fall under those plans rather than the Title 17 tables above, so confirm the plan and its drive-through rules for the parcel before an LOI.
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.