"Outdoor living plays an integral part in the Orange County lifestyle, and this additional open-air space adds a significant point of emphasis in our revitalization plans." Patsy Sanquist, general manager of The Shops at Mission Viejo, gave that statement to the Orange County Business Journal in November 2025. The same article said the outdoor area and its new tenants were "slated to open in late 2026, in time for the holiday season."
That holiday season is now a few weeks away. As of early October 2026, Simon's mall directory still lists North Italia, Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar, Gus's BBQ and Blue Bottle Coffee as "Coming Soon," and Pacific Catch, the other announced restaurant, doesn't appear in the directory at all. Newer reporting describes a lineup that will debut over time, running into 2027. Expect the space between Old Navy and the Macy's women's store to fill in gradually through next year.
How the opening date moved
Each forecast below came from a dated source, and the target slides further out with each one.
- March 2025. Simon announced the expansion. The Orange County Register reported a target of "the holiday shopping season — in 2026."
- September 18, 2025. Simon broke ground. The Register's October 2025 update said the open-air construction on the southeast side "should be done by late 2026."
- November 2025. The Business Journal repeated the late-2026, holiday-season target.
- June 9, 2026. The Register reported that Gus's BBQ expected to open its Mission Viejo location "in late spring or summer of 2027." The article was updated July 2.
- June 12, 2026. The Registry described the restaurants and retailers as "slated to debut across South Orange County's dominant regional mall through early 2027."
Between the fall 2025 forecasts and the June 2026 reports, the language shifted from a finish date to a debut window. "Done by late 2026" described the construction. "Through early 2027" describes tenants opening one after another. That is how a restaurant row usually fills in. Each operator builds out its own interior, hires its own staff and sets its own opening day.
Who is coming, and what each listing actually says
Simon's redevelopment page calls the village "an elevated dining experience with nationally recognized full-service restaurants" and says "additional exciting dining and retail options will be announced soon." The research turned up no tenant announcements after June 2026.
| Tenant | What it is | Status as of October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| North Italia | Modern Italian, full service | Listed as coming soon. No opening date found. |
| Pacific Catch | Sustainable seafood, full service | Announced in 2025. Not in Simon's mall directory. The redevelopment page names it in one paragraph and leaves it out of a newer one. No date found. |
| Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar | Coastal seafood and cocktails, beside the Tommy Bahama store | Listed as coming soon. No opening date reported. |
| Gus's BBQ | Slow-smoked Southern barbecue | Listed as coming soon. Owner expects late spring or summer 2027. |
| Blue Bottle Coffee | Coffee, pastries, beans and brewing gear | Listed as coming soon. No exact date announced. |
| Arhaus | Two-level furniture and home decor store | Listed as coming soon. |
North Italia has been in the plan the longest. When WhatNow Orange County confirmed it in April 2025, the chain's spokesperson had no Mission Viejo details to share. Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar was reported in late July 2026 for 555 The Shops at Mission Viejo, next to the brand's existing store. It will sell apparel and accessories along with food and drinks.
Gus's BBQ is the only tenant with a public 2027 forecast. At least one restaurant will be opening well after the holiday 2026 date in the original announcement.
Why Simon is building outside the walls
The village is small compared with the mall around it. As of October 2025, the center had about 1.15 million square feet of gross leasable space and roughly 150 stores. The 50,000-square-foot addition is less than 5 percent of that footprint.
Simon has put much of its plan for the center on that small slice. The Business Journal reported that taxable sales at The Shops at Mission Viejo fell 24 percent to $263 million in the 12 months ended June 30, 2025. Simon declined to comment on the decline. On an August earnings call, Simon's chief financial officer described the company's national strategy as replacing underperforming tenants and "finding tenants that make the properties better."
Simon has already done this at Brea Mall. There it finished a 119,000-square-foot outdoor plaza on the southwest side and moved on to a second phase that includes a Life Time Fitness gym and a Dick's Sporting Goods. Mission Viejo's version puts its weight on sit-down dining. The OCBJ described two full-service restaurants, Pacific Catch and North Italia, along with outdoor dining terraces. Since then, Simon has added Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar, Gus's BBQ and Blue Bottle Coffee to the roster.
A project like this succeeds when it has the right restaurants signed, so finishing construction on schedule matters less. With "additional dining and retail" still to be announced, the lineup is unfinished. A staggered debut through 2027 fits that.
What the mall offers this holiday season
The village won't be part of holiday plans this year, but the indoor mall has added tenants over the past year. In fall 2025 the Register listed Sbarro, Iron King Mongolian BBQ, Jamba Juice, Mr. Inkwells Piercing Studio and Uniqlo as recent additions. Jamba Juice is on the upper level between Islands and P.F. Chang's.
OniGuru serves onigiri, poke and rice bowls and has regular weekly hours in Simon's directory. It is an existing mall tenant and not one of the Outdoor Village's announced restaurants.
Simon's events page lists Santa Photos and Pet Photos with Santa from November 6 through December 24, 2026. As of this writing, no tree lighting or Santa arrival ceremony is posted.
Two relocations are less clear. In October 2025, Simon said Williams-Sonoma and Pottery Barn would "reopen in early 2026 with refreshed, modern store designs in newly relocated spaces on Level 1 near Nordstrom." Trainor Construction says it finished Williams-Sonoma's new build-out next to the relocated Pottery Barn. Neither source gives a public reopening date. Check the store pages before you plan an errand around them.
Signs the next opening is close
Because the tenants will open one by one, there won't be a single ribbon-cutting to watch for. These signs are more useful:
- The "Coming Soon" tag changes on Simon's directory. OniGuru's listing now shows regular hours, and the village tenants will make the same switch when they open.
- Simon names new tenants on its redevelopment page. That page still promises more dining and retail announcements, and the research found none after June 2026.
- An opening date appears in the Register's "Status Update" column or in WhatNow Orange County. Gus's BBQ's 2027 forecast first appeared in the Register.
Gus's BBQ is the one restaurant with a firm season attached, late spring or summer 2027. The other five announced tenants have no published date yet.
Molly Mentaberry keeps an eye on changes like the Outdoor Village because they shape everyday life around Mission Viejo, and she'll keep tracking it as the restaurants open. If you want a current read on your own home while you wait for the next opening, get your instant home valuation.
