About South Coast Plaza
PRESS CONTACT:
FrancisK@southcoastplaza.com
KEDRIC FRANCIS
Director of Public Relations and Communications
South Coast Plaza is a renowned international shopping center with more than 275 boutiques and restaurants and is the center of a vibrant business, arts and residential district that includes the adjacent Segerstrom Center for the Arts and the new Orange County Museum of Art. It is home to an unparalleled collection that includes coveted fashion and luxury boutiques, top jewelers, contemporary brands, sought-after home furnishings retailers, chef-driven dining concepts and restaurants that reflect a diversity of global flavors.
Located in Costa Mesa, Calif., South Coast Plaza is the largest luxury shopping destination on the West Coast, with 2.8 million square feet of retail and dining space.
FROM LIMA BEANS TO LUXURY
The story of South Coast Plaza is interlaced with the history of the Segerstrom family, who arrived in Orange County in 1898. The Segerstroms acquired and developed land, building an agricultural empire along the way. Lima beans once grew on the site where the center now stands. Developed by C.J. Segerstrom & Sons and designed by Los Angeles-based Gruen Associates, South Coast Plaza opened its doors to great fanfare on March 15, 1967, with 70 shops and anchor stores May Company and Sears.
For 55 years, the family has been curating a sought-after collection of stores and restaurants. South Coast Plaza began adding luxury brands in the 1970s, many of them regional exclusives, beginning with Courrèges in 1975 and Mark Cross and Halston the following year. Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche arrived in 1982, Tiffany & Co. in 1988 and Hermès in 1997.
Today, the center’s luxury collection is filled with the world’s most desirable brands — in fashion: Hermès, Celine, Balenciaga, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Bottega Veneta, Chanel, Loewe, Alexander McQueen and Christian Louboutin; in fine jewelry: Cartier, Harry Winston, Tiffany & Co. and Van Cleef & Arpels; in timepieces: Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet and A. Lange & Söhne; in décor: Baccarat, and Frette; and much more.
UNIQUE AND EXCLUSIVE
To complement its luxury offerings, the center maintains a blend of international contemporary retailers such as Maje, Sandro, Zimmermann, Tory Burch, Camilla, Furla, Golden Goose, Isabel Marant and ba&sh as well as six department stores: Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, Macy’s Men’s Store and Macy’s Home Store.
South Coast Plaza has a history of securing exclusives and first U.S. locations and flagships, including the first Nordstrom outside the Pacific Northwest in 1978 and the first West Coast locations for The Webster in 2016 and Canada Goose in 2021. The boutiques of A. Lange & Söhne, Moynat, Roger Vivier, Gianvito Rossi, and Loewe at South Coast Plaza are among the West Coast exclusives.
A similar philosophy can be found in the center’s curation of its dining collection, which has grown to include more chef-driven concepts and foodie destinations. South Coast Plaza showcases a rich array of culinary influences, from the refined and modern French cuisine by chef Tony Esnault at the Michelin-starred Knife Pleat and the vibrant Spanish flavors by “Top Chef” finalist Amar Santana at Vaca to the famous soup dumplings at Din Tai Fung and the inimitable fresh seafood selection at Water Grill.
SETTING THE STANDARD IN SHOPPING CENTER HOSPITALITY
A premier travel destination, South Coast Plaza attracts more than 20 million visitors every year from across the U.S. and all over the world. The center’s discerning clientele is drawn to the boutiques, award-winning restaurants, exclusive experiences and events, concierge services, as well as proximity to the magnificent California coastline, world-class beaches, top golf courses, an international airport and the adjacent Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Most visitors come from within a 100-mile radius, including Santa Barbara, Palm Springs and San Diego.
Numerous amenities for visitors include four concierge locations, three valet parking locations, language assistance, electric-vehicle charging stations, special offers for travelers and exclusive shop-and-stay packages with major Orange County resorts and hotels. The center was the first to accept the China UnionPay card, a payment method favored by visitors from the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan. A pioneer in elevated and bespoke guest services, South Coast Plaza continues to lead the way in creating extraordinary experiences for domestic and international customers.
