Vibes has quietly entered the equally quiet Peninsula—but it plans on making much more noise.
On the north side of 62nd Place, just before the street gives way to sand and silence, sits a tiny stretch of businesses that have quietly kept Long Beach’s Peninsula humming for decades. There’s the Bay Wash laundromat. The Beverage House, still stocking everything from Butterfingers to two-buck Chuck. And one lonely restaurant space that’s seen more turnover than a beach towel on a windy day—Wanda’s, then SUP Café, then Peninsula Café—all good tries, all gone.
Now, that same spot has something new. Something bright. Something that actually feels like it belongs here.
It’s called Vibes, and mother-daughter duo Cindy and Mackenzie Hendrix are betting their brand of good energy—and some genuinely good food—can finally connect the Peninsula to the city’s growing culinary heartbeat.
Long Beach’s Vibes was birthed out of a ‘crazy’ proclamation and a leap of faith
“My mom called me and said, ‘I just did something crazy,’” Mackenzie said, laughing. “I was like, ‘Umm… what did you do?’ And she literally said, ‘I bought a restaurant. I have to go. So much to do.’ And hung up.”
At the time, Cindy thought she was just asking her daughter—fresh out of Chapman with a marketing degree—to help with branding. But as the two began sketching, designing, and dreaming, it was obvious this wasn’t going to be a one-woman show. Mackenzie brought a creative pulse that matched her mom’s positivity, and soon they were rebuilding the space—and their lives—together.
From forgotten to fresh: Vibes in Long Beach creates, well, its vibe.
The old restaurant’s bones were still there, but the soul? Long gone. Over nearly two years, the Hendrixes gutted and rebuilt every inch, swapping dark corners and dated décor for sunlight, coastal tones, and what Cindy calls “a reflection of how the Peninsula actually feels.”
“By the time we had finished the inside, I still didn’t have a name,” Cindy said. “And on our way to the Shore, Mackenzie said, ‘Mom, you’re all about good energy—why not call it Vibes?’ It just clicked. Then, no joke, we walked past a pile of hats that said ‘vibes’ on them. That was the sign.”
Step inside and the name makes sense. The room hums with brightness—gray and white tones, the soft chatter of locals, the faint sound of the ocean if you listen close enough. The patio feels like your friend’s breezy backyard: intimate, shaded, with a gentle fountain that muffles the world for a bit.
It’s the kind of place that makes you slow down, whether you came for a coffee or a full meal.
A bistro built for the Peninsula
In a city where true all-day cafés are scarce—and where the loss of Restauration and the distance to Berlin left a noticeable gap—Vibes fills a rare niche. It’s neither a diner nor a brunch machine; it’s an honest-to-goodness American bistro with California flavor and Long Beach heart.
Chef Hugo Sanchez brings a style that’s fresh but familiar. His breakfast pizza—topped with prosciutto and sunny eggs—has become an early favorite, while ricotta and heirloom tomato tartines recall République-level finesse without the pretension.
Sanchez even grows herbs and produce on the roof, using hydro-pods to supply part of the kitchen’s needs—a nod to L.A.’s Otium but with a distinctly local flair.
Coffee with character, energy with purpose
The Hendrixes didn’t overlook the caffeine. Vibes marks the first time Newport-based Common Room Roasters beans have hit Long Beach, and the move fits: it’s an intentional partnership that adds to the city’s already-strong coffee scene while keeping things coastal and classy.
Pair a flat white with the morning light on the patio and it’s hard to imagine a better Peninsula ritual. What makes Vibes special isn’t just the food or the design—it’s that the place radiates exactly what its name promises. You feel it in Cindy’s greeting, in Mackenzie’s quiet pride, in the way the space just… fits.
“I know it sounds cheesy,” Cindy said, “but we really mean it. We want people to walk in and feel good. To feel the vibes.”
It’s a small space doing something big—reminding the Peninsula that good energy still has a home here.
Vibes is located at 76½ 62nd Place, on the Long Beach Peninsula.
