2024 was one of the most wildly successful years in terms of new spaces opening: Over thirty new restaurants, bakeries, chains, and other food spaces opened across the year. And even more, the Long Beach community clearly cared about those openings: Over 60,000 people looked at that list across the year.

With this year, we are starting off with many already-knowns and some definite holdovers from last year that are hoping to open—so send them all the good permitting/contracting/licensing vibes, food lovers. And, perhaps, I might be holding onto some announcements that I am just not quite allowed to talk about yet. But until then…

Due Fiori [opening Mar. 26]

2708 E. 4th St.

UPDATE (Mar. 19): Due Fiori is opening Mar. 26. For Brian Addison’s full preview, click here.

UPDATE (Mar. 9): Waldo’s Pizza owner and chef Waldo Stout has been tasked with taking on the kitchen at Due Fiori.

“Waldo’s pizza is not coming to and end—and it will have its brick-and-mortar,” Waldo said. “That’s always been the dream and that will continue to be the focus. Popups will likely happen in the future, but for now, I need to focus on my new endeavor: Due Fiori.”

Original article: Baby Gee owners Daniel Flores and Gianna Johns have a little something up their sleeves. They have formally taken over the former Shady Grove Foods space. (Shady Grove was set to close in January of 2024, then to have some hopeful talks with Mayor Rex Richardson, only to eventually permanently shutter in February.)

The concept? Dubbed Due Fiori (or “Two Flowers”), the space will be a trattoria: Think traditional Italian, lotsa wine and beer, neighborhood vibe. Given they live down the street, Daniel’s experience at the lauded Bestia, Gianna’s own Italian heritage, and the pair’s masterful propelling of Baby Gee as a drinking institution, this one has already, as expected, generated some hype.

Midnight Oil [open]

255 E. 3rd St.

UPDATE (Mar. 1): Midnight Oil is formally open.

UPDATE (FEB. 6): Midnight Oil hosted its first preview and is looking to have food on the menu in the coming weeks.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: I cannot tell you how excited I am for this: Not only is it from a seasoned veteran, but he is bringing something DTLB could truly use. Well, things: More late-night food. Chinese grub. A rotating speakeasy. And the eventual evolution into a new space without losing the original employees. Midnight Oil definitely has a way to go—it will reopen in the coming days as Rosemallows while it begins its transition—but once it becomes fully fleshed out, it will likely be a quick DTLB staple.

For the full feature, click here.

Royal Indian Curry House

242 Pine Ave.

Whew, this story is long: Three months after it was announced that longtime East Village Arts District restaurant Utopia would permanently shutter, its new owners have already moved in and begun to alter the space—and that includes raising temporary signage. It would go on to become the Arabian Grill, leaving Royal Indian Curry House, well, homeless. According to co-ower Babbljit Kaur (aka Bubbly), the family signed a lease at the former Starbucks on Pine Avenue between Broadway and 3rd Street. Work is continually happening inside the space, with hopefully “a month or two to go before final permitting,” she said in January of 2025.

Don’t know Bubbly? She is the former owners of Natraj—and I discovered her new food endeacor via a story that is more cute than it is journalistic. One of my favorite workers at my local RiteAid was Bubbly. I noticed she had mehndi on her hands, so I had presumed she had recently been to a wedding. And she had. We talked about how much I loved the food my friends Pakistani-Cambodian wedding and that’s when I learned that her and husband Singh were the former owners before they sold. Formally known aarjit Singh and Babbljit Kaur, Bubbly told me they are trying to open a new space at 1st and Linden—and what do you know: It’s RICH.

Mangiafoglie [open]

2306 E. 4th St.

UPDATE (Mar. 1): Mangiafoglie is officially open for dinner, Wednesdays through Mondays from 5:30PM to 9PM. For Brian Addison’s full look into the menu, click here.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Mangiafoglie, the vegan space dedicated to Southern Italian cuisine and pastries, is soft opening Jan. 22 at 8AM. After announcing his re-branding of the popular and respected Long Beach Vegan Pizza popup as he scored the former Scholb space at the southeast corner of 4th Street and Junipero Avenue, owner Paul Reese is “full of gratitude and humility. I’ve kept this project somewhat close to the chest because of endless bureaucracy and nagging uncertainty.”

For more info, click here.

NYC Chop Cheese

420 Cherry Ave.

After causing my food group quite the (non-malicious, I assure) laugh, the signage for the anticipated chopped cheese shop on Cherry Avenue just north of 4th Street has gone up. Previous signs have already hinted they will be serving Boar’s Head cold cuts but let’s hope they can manage to get the tradition of the chopped cheese down right.

Tanuki Japanese Curry [open]

 2201 . Willow St., Suit G in Signal Hill

UPDATE (Mar. 20): Tanuki Curry, taking over teh former Kashiwa Sushi space in Signal Hill, has officially opened.

Here’s what Long Beach Food Scene member Ryan Rainstar experienced: “Tanuki does not disappoint on the curry front. The curry is solid, has a great depth of flavor, all the classic notes of good Japanese curry, rich meaty body, and umami that punches its way through, without any particular spice being overbearing and the katsu is juicy while maintaining a light and delicate, yet crispy-crunchy panko breading. The small pinch of fukujinzuke on the rice and scallions on the curry are enough to break the diminished returns of a large plate.I found the proportions of this dish to be absolutely perfect. I literally cleaned the plate.”

Original article: Serving the Signal Hill community since 2011, Kashiwa Sushi quietly closed its doors back in January (not long before its entire original kitchen had departed from the space). While it was one of the few, far more traditional sushi spots, I think we can all agree that a proper Japanese curry space is warmly welcomed.

Bushfire Kitchen

4610 Pacific Coast Hwy.

Temecula-birthed Bushfire Kitchen, which has quickly expanded its presence across SoCal, will be opening its first Los Angeles County location in Long Beach. Taking over the Images Nails & Spa space at 4610 Pacific Coast Hwy.—inside the newly minted Sprouts by the traffic circle—it is expected to open in 2025. 

“We’re really about clean, simple food with a lot of global influence. Or, as we say, comfort food you can feel good about,” said Alex Barwin, brother of Bushfire CEO Oliver Barwin and head of marketing. “We’re honored that Long Beach will be our first location in the L.A. region and look forward to bringing something that both those who want to seek healthier options and those that want to indulge can enjoy.”

For the full feature, click here.

Zarape Long Beach

4702 E. 2nd St.

Belmont Shore is becoming the epicenter of elevated Mexican cuisine as Zarape Long Beach becomes a reality. The West Hollywood-based taqueria, owned by Oneismo Mendez, will be “high-end but casual, not cheap but not outrageously expensive.” Zarape Long Beach will be taking over the former Rubio’s space at 2nd Street and Roycroft Avenue. While the fast casual Baja-inspired chain had a presence in the Shore for nearly two decades and its lease was technically running through to December, new leasing signs appeared in May of this year luring in new tenants.

South of Nick’s

5354 E. 2nd St.

Nick’s Restaurant Group—the massive, Irvine-based group that is home to mid- and upscale restaurants through the region—has decided to expand its presence in Belmont Shore by providing a sibling to its Nick’s on 2nd location, South of Nick’s.

The group’s Mexican concept, announced all the way back in June of 2022, already has two locations in Laguna Beach and San Clemente; its Long Beach location will take over the historic building at 5354 E. 2nd St., formerly home to Citibank before it closed several years ago.

While it is certain that Nick’s doesn’t challenge much in terms of its food—the existing location on 2nd has a menu that has largely remained unchanged since its opening nearly a decade ago—and it is as straight-forward as an American restaurant can be: Excellently made steaks, sides like fried deviled eggs that rarely fail and a butter cake dessert which is one of the best in the city. And while it could certainly elevate with a bit more finesse and a bit more focus, as well as a shift in its layout, to achieve something like the elegance of Arthur J, Nick’s on 2nd has been an anchor in a Shore that has constantly changed.

Sosogu [open]

3860 Worsham Ave. #300

UPDATE (Mar. 1): Sosogu is officially open.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Redlands-based Sosogu has decided to step out of the Inland Empire and toward the beach. Taking over the former Plancha space, which closed in March of 2023—this version of the space looks like it is stepping away from its more casual style in Redlands and toward a more upscale, full-bar restaurant in Long Beach. Eschewing ramen and focusing instead on sushi and Japanese BBQ—for which it has built up a fairly decent following in the I.E.—the space will operate under a different LLC than its Redlands location.

Paris Baguette

81 S. Pine Ave.

South Korea-based French bakery Paris Baguette—which has seen a wildly large expansion into the U.S. when it opened its first Stateside shop in 2005—will be taking over the former T-mobile space between Kalavera’s and The Auld Dubliner at The Pike Outlets. According to their announcment, the bakery—which will be one of over 1,000 U.S. stores comes 2030—is expected to open by the end of this year or early 2026.

& Waffles [open]

95 Pine Ave.

UPDATE (Mar. 20): & Waffles is now open.

Original article: Los Angeles mini-breakfast chain And Waffles (stylized as & Waffles) will be opening a Long Beach location at the former Pier 76 space in Downtown Long Beach at 95 Pine Ave. and is expected to open summer of this year. For more information about the place, read the original announcement.

San & Wolves Bake Shop [open]

3900 E. 4th St.

UPDATE (Mar. 1): Sans & Wolves is officially open.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Kym Estrada’s wildly popular Los Alamitos monthly vegan pop-up, Sans & Wolves Bake Shop, will be moving beyond the popup world and into the former B&Q Art Gallery space on 4th Street (near Coffee Cup Cafe) for her first brick-and-mortar, adding to Long Beach’s growing Filipina-owned bake shops. (Shout-out to the OG Catherine Talentino of Gemmae and Maria Leyesa of Foodologie.)

Announced via Instagram back in August, what does this mean for Long Beach food lovers? A ton of vegan Filipino pastries: ube cookies, donuts, pan de sal, ensaymada, bibingka…

Signage for the space had gone up back in November, adverting everything from pandesal to coffee from the Phillippines in perfectly retro, hand-painted signs that Kym and Arvin simply posted on social media: “Analog art > digital… One of our goals for our bakeshop is to keep things classic and timeless. In a world full of fast trends and computer shortcuts, we know human skill is most valuable.”

Eat Fantastic [open]

2301 E. 4th St.

After it was announced in April of 2024 that Eat Fantastic would be taking over the diner at 4th Street and Junipero Avenue, and then formally shuttering the Golden Burger space in July of 2024, the space has finally opened.

Construction and activity was finally back in January seen after the place had been boarded up for months following its rebranding. The mini chain currently has seven locations across Arcadia, El Segundo, Lomita, Tustin, North Torrance, Norco, and yes, Long Beach already—making this its second one locally.

Oakberry [open]

4913 E. 2nd St.

UPDATE (Mar. 1): Oakberry is officially open.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: OakBerry, the Brazil-based açaí juggernaut of a chain, will be opening its first Long Beach location. Located inside the former Engels & Völkers sapce at 4913 E. 2nd St. And it is but one of many bourgeoning brands that have sought Belmont Shore as its home, bringing about a renaissance along the business corridor that hasn’t been seen in years.

Ackee Bamboo Jamaican Cuisine

3222 E. Broadway

The former Cafe Piccolo space will be taken over by Ackee Bamboo Jamaican Cuisine. Photo by Brian Addison.

UDPATE (Mar. 9): The facade of Cafe Piccolo has been officially torn down as Ackee Bamboo owners work with a new contractor.

Original article: The famed Leimert Park legend that is Ackee Bamboo Jamaican Cuisine has been facing its own slew of uphill battles in getting their Broadway location open in the former Cafe Piccolo space for nearly two years—and it is uncertain if they will be able to open.

The food coming from Ackee is important because there is a frank reality: The representation of Black food in Long Beach has dwindled along with the Black population itself—but for Blacks and non-Blacks alike throughout the city, the cuisines of the Caribbean, Africa, Afro-Latin America, and elsewhere are not only wanted locally but directly sought after by those locals in other cities.

After Cafe Piccolo closed their space on Broadway following decades of service, the owners of Ackee Bamboo Jamaican Cuisine announced their move-in last year. Owners Marlene Sinclair-Beckford and Delroy Beckford told me in 2023 that, praying construction follows through as planned, the restaurant hoped to open in May. Then they hoped to open by the fall. Then: radio silence and a ton of unfinished contract work at the space.

Taste of the Pacific

11130 Del Amo Blvd. [in Lakewood]

West Covina-based Filipino barbecue joint Taste of the Pacific will be taking over the space sadly left by Chinitos Tacos. Think plenty of proteins, rice, and noodles, slathered in their sauces, including their signature “smackin’ sauce,” a sweet, creamy concoction that defines the space.

Urbane Kitchen

4001 N. Lakewood Blvd., Suite 100

Ventura-based chain Urbane Cafe opened at the Long Beach Exchange retail complex earlier this month, with a series of events benefitting various causes.

“It is important for our team to connect with our guests and to care about our community in the very same way we care about the preparation of our hearty, fresh, focaccia sandwiches and delicious, healthy salads and bowls,” said Urbane Cafe owner and founder Tom Holt in a press release.