Even more big name chefs will take up residence in Anaheim when OCVibe opens in 2027.
Today, the 100-acre mixed-use district surrounding the Honda Center announced the renowned chef Tim Hollingsworth will open his first Orange County restaurant at the district.
“Tim Hollingsworth is a chef whose talent and sense of hospitality are matched by his genuine connection to the Southern California community,” said Anthony Olheiser, senior vice president of Hospitality at OCVibe, in a news release.
“From the beginning, our vision for OCVibe has been to partner with chefs who tell authentic stories and create places where people genuinely want to gather,” Olheiser continued. “Tim’s life-long connection with Southern California, from childhood trips to Anaheim to the guests who have followed him to Los Angeles, makes him a natural fit, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to OCVibe.”
In 2010, Hollingsworth was the recipient of James Beard Foundation’s Rising Star Chef of the Year Award and he spent more than a decade at Thomas Keller’s celebrated restaurant, the French Laundry. In 2012, he left to open the now-shuttered Otium located next to the Broad museum and also co-founded Chain with with B. J. Novak, a concept that reimagined the nostalgic menu items of chain restaurants.
Most recently, the Los Angeles-based chef has developed concepts across the country with dining groups like Ten Five Hospitality, the Patina Group and H. Wood Group and Caruso.
Chef Tim Hollingsworth and the rest of the Chain team serve collaborative dishes, one-off bites and item previews by some of the world’s biggest chain restaurants.
(Chain)
“I’ve spent much of my career cooking in Los Angeles, and over the years, I’ve welcomed so many guests from Orange County,” Hollingsworth stated. “It’s exciting to now bring something to them in Anaheim.”
Hollingsworth’s new wood-fire dining concept will feature chef-driven American cuisine with pizzas, meats and seasonal vegetables prepared over open flame. The interior design will draw on Southern California’s mid-century design heritage and include an open raw bar and pastry station where guests can watch their meal being prepared with care.
“My vision is to create a restaurant that has the warmth and familiarity of your favorite neighborhood spot, while embracing the energy and excitement of everything happening around it. A place where the food is thoughtful, the atmosphere is lively and the hospitality feels personal,” Hollingsworth said.
José Andrés is among the celebrity chefs opening concepts at OCVibe in Anaheim.
(Chris Granger)
The news of Hollingsworth’s restaurant follows a recent announcement that chef José Andrés will also be coming to OCVibe. The Spanish American chef is the recipient of multiple James Beard Foundation awards and the founder of non-profit organization, World Central Kitchen, which provides meals to regions in the aftermath of natural disaster.
Andrés will debut a signature restaurant within Sena, Anaheim’s first hotel in Marriott’s Autograph Collection portfolio. Set to open in 2029, the hotel will be deigned by Rockwell Group, while Sage Hospitality Group will oversee a suite of hospitality and guest service experiences.
“Bringing together Marriott’s Autograph Collection, Rockwell Group, José Andrés Group and Sage Hospitality Group gives us the opportunity to create a hotel experience unlike anything else in Orange County,” said Dan Young, executive director of development at OCVibe, in a news release. “Sena will be both a destination in its own right and a front door to everything OCVibe is becoming, a place where exceptional design, dining, hospitality, and live experiences come together.”
The restaurant will feature views of OCVibe’s South Plaza and Honda Center with social experiences that go from day to night.
A rendering of the Sena Hotel’s lobby bar, opening at OCVibe in Anaheim in 2029.
(Courtesy of OCVibe)
“Anaheim, here we come,” Andrés said in a statement. “It is no secret that I love California … filled with amazing people, bountiful ingredients and energy. My team and I are excited to bring a new restaurant into this community that we look forward to being a part of.”
Andrés and Hollingsworth will join chef Roy Choi’s restaurant concept, Best Friend, and a growing lineup of local chefs in the 21-kitchen Katella Commons market hall at OCVibe.
The first phase of the district, which includes the concert hall, market hall and office is expected to open in 2027, while Sena is slated to open in 2029.
