Irvine's villages were designed around local retail: most villages have a shopping corner within a short walk or drive of the homes around it. That design is one of the best reasons to get to know your neighborhood businesses, because the coffee shop, market or restaurant around the corner is part of what makes the village feel like home.
Start on foot
Take one afternoon and walk your local village center. Look past the anchor stores and try the smaller storefronts: the independent cafe, the family-run restaurant, the shop whose owner is behind the counter. Repeat visits are how businesses become part of your routine.
Follow local voices
Neighborhood social media groups and the pages of the businesses themselves are full of signals about what is opening, what is busy and what the neighborhood cares about. Local business owners also tend to be generous with recommendations for everything else in the area.
Ask the people who live there
Your neighbors are the best review system that exists. Ask what they order, where they go for repairs, and which businesses they have told everyone about. Word of mouth is how small businesses in Orange County actually grow.
And if you own or love a local business worth sharing, tell Scarlett. Local business features and owner interviews are a regular part of her content, and a good story about a local place travels further than any ad.
Know a business worth featuring?
Scarlett features local restaurants, shops and business owners across Irvine and Orange County. Send a recommendation and tell her the story.
Tell Scarlett About a Local Business