New shops opening in downtown Anaheim

Photo by Lisa Liddane/The Orange County Register

Center Street Promenade in downtown Anaheim is getting ready to show off its new cool side. Yes, you read it right, cool. Beginning in mid-June, about half a dozen hip stores and restaurants will open at Center Street in Anaheim, all of them owned by LAB Holding LLC. If that company name sounds familiar, it should because it’s the Costa Mesa firm that introduced to Orange County – and to the retail industry – the concept of the anti-mall 20 years ago, and its eco-conscious sibling, The CAMP, on Bristol Street. With those two concepts, LAB Holding gained a reputation for unconventional sub-culture-inspired retailing.

Now, the company is imbuing street level spaces in the office buildings in the 100 and 200 blocks of Center Street with LAB Holding’s retail cred. From buying those properties and another set of retail spaces across Anaheim Ice to revamping and upgrading those spaces, LAB Holding is spending in the range of $5 million to $8 million, much higher than what was stated in previous news stories on the project.

Like LAB Holding’s previous projects, Center Street Promenade will have a distinct identity. And for that, Shaheen Sadeghi, founder and CEO of LAB Holding said his team turned to Anaheim’s past for ideas. “We got excited about this project and we did our cultural and community research,” Sadeghi said. “We found that there’s a tremendous amount of history and very rich culture there. We were particularly impressed with the diversity of the communities.”

Sadeghi zeroed in on the working class history of Anaheim from the 1920s to the 1940s and translated that into a retro blue-collar inspired vibe for the stores. “The history that we could tap into became the driving factor for us,” Sadeghi said.

Here are some of the LAB Holding stores and restaurants that have opened or are coming to the promenade:

HOME ECO:NOMICS: An eco-conscious store for home, body and soul, with artisanal products. Sadeghi described it as a slice of SEED People’s Market, his sustainable living boutique at The CAMP. The store held its grand opening in mid-May.

BarBeer Shop: Please, don’t call it a salon. It’s a barbershop specializing in men’s haircuts for $25, with a bar in the rear of the retail space offering beer to its patrons. “Men can come in, get a great shave or a $25 haircut, then have a beer,” Sadeghi said. “It’s an affordable experience. And it’s important for there to be a social element. People are looking for contact.”

Heart & Sole: An Americana-influenced shoe store with curated labels, vintage-looking brands and bench-made footwear, including the Wolverine 1000 Mile Boot Collection, as well as Vans and Converse.

THE GOOD, California Haberdashery: Also Americana-influenced, this store is about the “left coast culture,” Sadeghi said. “It will carry fun, affordable, and what I call no-nonsense products such as Levi’s and Pendleton.”

Good Food: A collection of four counter service eateries, including Healthy Junk and Delifornia. “It’s really a healthy junk food restaurant that’s vegetarian and organic,” Sadeghi said of Healthy Junk. “You can get a cheeseburger and chili that are vegan-based.” Delifornia is a “deli without the attitude,” he said. The names of the other two eateries have yet to be announced.

Elsewhere on the promenade, other restaurants opening that are not LAB Holding owned include Karma Burger and Gypsy Den. These stores and restaurants are expected to debut from mid-June to July, Sadeghi said. And like other LAB Holding properties, they’ll have what Sadeghi calls the company’s secret sauce. “We call it the four Cs: community, culture, commerce and consciousness,” he said. By this he means that it has to have the support of a community, reflect culture, be a viable business and promote a sustainable lifestyle.

Read about the redevelopment of Center Street and other areas in Anaheim.

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