Luna Grill, Dave's Hot Chicken to join Menifee Town Center

Map shows the locations of Menifee Plaza and Center Pointe Plaza, being constructed within Menifee Town Center.

By Doug Spoon, Editor

The Krikorian theater project and adjoining retail property remains dormant, but construction continues at two adjacent parcels in Menifee Town Center, and both have just announced their first tenants.

City of Menifee officials this week announced Luna Grill Mediterranean Kitchen as the first tenant scheduled to join Center Pointe Plaza, being built just to the west of the theater site. Described in a city news release as “an upper-scale, fast-casual, healthy, non-GMO eatery”, Luna Grill plans to open in late fall or early winter.

The Menifee site will be Luna Grill’s second location in Southwest Riverside County, joining the Temecula location. Luna Grill started in 2004 in San Diego. It now has over 50 locations throughout Southern California and the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Center Pointe Plaza, a 73,000-square-foot project owned by Tourmaline Capital, will also include a “specialty grocer” and a sit-down restaurant. Previous reports indicated these will be Sprouts Farmers Market and Olive Garden, although no formal announcement has been made. There will be “other eateries” also announced at Center Pointe in the coming months, according to the city news release.

In another news release, city officials announced Dave’s Hot Chicken as the first tenant scheduled to join Menifee Plaza, which is being built fronting Newport Road on the east side of Town Center Drive. There are 10 other locations in Southern California, primarily in San Diego.

According to the news release, Dave’s Hot Chicken “serves a straightforward menu of fried chicken tenders and sliders.” It was founded by chef Dave Kopushyan and three friends in early 2017, initially opening as a parking lot pop-up in East Hollywood.

The 13,000-square-foot Menifee Plaza, owned by GS Investment Properties, will be include other retail eateries to be announced over the next few weeks, according to the city news release. In a September 2019 Town Hall, City Economic Development Director Gina Gonzalez listed Dickey's Barbecue Pit, Starbucks and Chronic Tacos Mexican Grill as “coming soon” to Menifee Town Center, but there has been no confirmation since.

Further construction plans for Menifee Town Center include a medical office building, to be built between Menifee Plaza and the Fairfield Inn & Suites hotel by Marriott; and the future City Hall, which would be the City of Menifee’s first City Hall to be owned rather than leased. The City Hall project is still “3-5 years out”, according to city officials.

Across Town Center Drive from the City Hall site is the future site of a County Courthouse, expected to break ground later this year, according to city officials. The court will handle civil and family law cases, not criminal.

In our latest update on the Krikorian theater project published here on Tuesday, it was reported that in addition to a loss of funding experienced by owner George Krikorian, a lawsuit against his company by several other parties is pending. Construction on the theater site and retail/commercial space owned by Krikorian fronting Newport Road was halted nearly a year ago. There is no estimate on when it might begin again.