If you haven’t already had a chance to meet them, we would like to introduce you to these businesses which opened in Downtown during 2024. Use this list to help plan your Downtown excursions in 2025! You have several brilliant new choices for dining, music, elegant lodging, self-care, and expert consultation for your next big engineering project. Get to know these new businesses, and keep supporting the growth and positive energy of Downtown!
EGGBRED / 777 E OCEAN BLVD. #A
Grand Opening of EggBred
This new breakfast spot on the ground floor of the Shoreline Gateway building at the corner of Ocean and Alamitos is starting to get the same kind of rave reviews the La Habra and Huntington Beach locations have been getting! It’s definitely an enticing breakfast outing.
Check out the extensive menu, which is loaded with breakfast sandwiches and burritos, along with many other delectable breakfast options you can enjoy onsite or order online.
EggBred is open Monday through Friday from 7 AM to 2 PM, Saturday and Sunday from 7 AM to 4 PM.
SONORATOWN / 244 E 3RD ST.
Photo Courtesy of Sonoratown
Sonoratown is a welcome addition to a city that just can’t get enough tacos! The first Sonoratown was opened in Downtown L.A. by two service industry veterans who wanted to serve tacos Sonora style — cooked over a mesquite wood fire! Now there’s a Downtown spot, and folks are lining up for these special tacos and other grilled delicacies.
The new restaurant is awesome for take-out! Next time you throw a party, consider ordering up some trays of tacos or mini-burritos for your guests. Check out the full menus here.
Sonoratown is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 AM to 4 PM. On Fridays and Saturdays the taco spot is open from 11 AM to 10 PM.
HERBAL SHEA / 746 PINE AVE.
Herbal Shae Owner Torriana Towns
The secrets to Herbal Shea’s holistic hair care products are passion, love, and the best ingredients that nature has to offer. The shop offers products that target the uniqueness of each person’s hair composition, helping clients embrace the natural state of their hair.
The product menu is infused with nature. It’s enticing — appetizing, even. Try the Honey Fenugreek Hydration Cream, Ginger Sugarcane Hair Butter, or the Coconut Milk & Hibiscus Deep Conditioner.
Herbal Shea is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 AM to 6 PM, and Saturday from 11 AM to 6:30 PM. Closed Sunday and Monday. Click here to learn about Shea Currency Rewards, which never expire!
NOVA BAKERY / 865 E 7TH ST., UNIT C
Photo Courtesy of Nova Bakery
Those who love to expand their cultural palettes will LOVE this new eatery, which specializes in classic Venezuelan dishes.
For breakfast, try some Cachapas — sweet corn pancakes. For lunch, there are Pastelitos — fried puff pastries similar to meat pies. And for dinner, we suggest Pabellon — a beef bowl with black beans and fried sweet plantains. The entire menu looks delicious! Check it out here.
Nova Bakery is open Sunday through Wednesday, 10 AM to 8 PM, Thursday and Friday from 10 AM to 10 PM, and Saturday from 3 to 11 PM.
FOOT WORK RECORDS / 400 E 3RD ST.
Interior of Foot Work Records
“This store is a space for DJs to not only learn about and buy music, but also a place to play those records in a club-style setting and network with like-minded people,” said owner Dakin Auret, a native of South Africa who opened his East Village shop this year.
With its bins of the latest dance vinyl, a polished wood floor, and two turntables prominently located between two huge speaker columns, Foot Work Records feels like an epicenter for high-energy club music — a house of House, if you will. Make sure to plan a visit when one of the regular guest DJs is mixing beats!
Foot Work Records is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 7 PM. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
PASTA MARK / POP-UPS AT PARTAKE COLLECTIVE, 456 ELM AVE.
Photo Courtesy of Pasta Mark
“Pasta is my passion,” said Mark Esposito, the chef and entrepreneur behind Pasta Mark. Esposito often hosts pop-up classes at Partake Collective, teaching the art of making fresh pasta from scratch, sharing his expertise throughout the process.
During a typical class, Esposito, who has served as a chef in Michelin-starred restaurants in Chicago and New York City, will teach you how to make a complete Italian meal featuring a pasta dish such as Lemon Ravioli, then sit back with you and enjoy the full meal you have just created with your classmates.
Follow Esposito on Instagram @pastamark to stay up to date on his pop-up offerings. Partake Collective will keep you informed as well.
ARABIAN GRILL / 445 E 1ST ST.
Photo Courtesy of Arabian Grill
It’s been a long journey from Syria to Long Beach for co-owners Abu Jemil and Layla Sido, who are now wowing East Village diners with their authentic Mediterranean food — particularly their Shawarma – thin slices of chicken or beef stacked in an inverted cone, then roasted on a slow-turning spit.
Jemil and Sido’s restaurant was originally called New Amsterdam in honor of the first city they fled to during the Syrian civil war over a decade ago. After running two restaurants in the Netherlands, they went on an odyssey with stops in Texas, Michigan, Palm Desert and Anaheim before settling in Gardena and opening a restaurant there. They opened their Long Beach spot this year, with their son Ahmed Nasser at the helm. The restaurant is temporarily closed while they undergo a rebrand with a new name, Arabian Grill, as reported by LongBeachize.
UBUNTU CAFE / 210 E 3RD ST.
Photo Courtesy of Ubuntu Downtown
Last summer, the Ubuntu Cafe opened on The Promenade, taking over the spot formerly occupied by Michael’s Downtown and keeping the departed restaurant’s staff. Like the Ubuntu Cafe near the Colorado Lagoon, it touts itself as “the greatest neighborhood cafe!”
“We are visiting businesses and buildings in Downtown to let them know who we are and where we are located,” said co-owner Fellippe Esteves, whose new spot serves the same mouthwatering menu as its sister restaurant, with the addition of pizza prepared in the two wood-fired ovens that remained after Michael’s left.
Ubuntu Cafe is open for breakfast Monday through Friday from 6 to 11:30 AM. Lunch is served Monday through Friday from 11:30 AM to 3 PM. Brunch is available Saturday and Sunday from 7 AM to 3 PM. Dinner happens Tuesday through Friday from 4 to 9 PM, and Saturdays from 5 to 9 PM.
OLIVE & ROSE / 255 ATLANTIC AVE.
Photo Courtesy of
Olive & Rose
This neo-bistro occupies the building with the refurbished and gorgeous mid-century modern facade and the “City Center Motel” sign. For signature cocktails and an amazing food menu created with French techniques and California flavors, Olive & Rose is a very attractive new nightlife option!
Try the Octopus with Potato and Pimento, accompanied by a salad made with fresh produce grown in Long Beach. Sip an Orange Mocha Frappuccino or a glass of fine wine with dinner. Finish with an Espresso and chill with your companions in this great-looking new spot.
Olive & Rose is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 9 PM. Follow on Instagram @oliveandrose.lb.
FAIRMONT BREAKERS HOTEL / 210 E OCEAN BLVD.
Photo Courtesy of Fairmont Breakers Long Beach
Downtown is enthusiastically welcoming the return of this hotel, an Ocean Blvd. fixture since the ’20s! It’s now flaunting the same glamour and class as it did back in the day, when Hollywood stars sipped cocktails in the Sky Room on the top floor.
At the Fairmont Breakers you can treat yourself to world-class accommodations, sip champagne and dine on five-star fare in an array of elegant restaurants and bars, all while taking in our city’s breathtaking views in every direction!
Click here for all the details on hotel stays, dining and drinking options and hours, amenities, and exclusive offers.
BROKEN SPIRITS DISTILLERY / 300 THE PROMENADE N
Corporate Beverage Director Manny Nieves & Founder Dominic Espinoza
For those who love drinking artisanal spirits and dining on comfort classics, Broken Spirits Distillery is ripe with possibilities! The cool new spot is doing great business ever since it opened last May at the corner of 3rd and Promenade.
Master distiller and co-owner Massimiliano Stecca described the food menu as “Texas-style smokehouse comfort food, with some Asian Fusion twists.” The crafted spirits selection is remarkable! Check out the menu for detailed descriptions.
Broken Spirits is open Monday through Thursday from 11 AM to 10 PM, Friday and Saturday from 11 AM to midnight, and Sunday from 11 AM to 10 PM.
KIMLEY-HORN / 180 E OCEAN BLVD.
Kimley-Horn Grand Opening
“Expect More. Experience Better.” That’s the motto of Kimley-Horn, one of the nation’s premier engineering, planning, and design consultants. The award-winning company, which has over 120 offices across the country, opened its new office in Downtown this year.
The company offers its services in a broad variety of private development and public infrastructure settings such as retail, educational, industrial, military, aerospace, and much more! Click here to see the full range of services offered by Kimley-Horn.
Kimley-Horn is open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM, and Friday from 7:30 to 11:30 AM. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
MADRES BRUNCH / 442 E 1ST ST.
Photo Courtesy of Madres Brunch
Madres Brunch, which has several Southern California locations, opened its East Village location in October. With its stylish decor and welcoming energy, it’s a great spot for gatherings with family and friends.
The menu, which changes monthly, is filled with classic brunch favorites such as the Bunuelo Breakfast Burrito and Fried Steak bathed in turkey gravy. The drink menu also changes from month to month. Now is the perfect time to try Santa’s Mimosa Flight, starring Apple Pie, Peppermint, Gingerbread, and Olla Horchata mimosas!
Madres Brunch is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM, Saturday and Sunday from 7:30 AM to 4 PM.