San Juan Capistrano is experiencing a dining resurgence. The transformation began during the pandemic when Heritage Barbecue brought the area back to life with its drive-thru pop-ups. The neighborhood evolved with Mayfield and its creative cocktail program. Then Ramen Shack made a splash when it opened to much fanfare but shuttered suddenly earlier this year. Just 45 days after the last bowl of ramen was served, that corner restaurant space on Camino Capistrano was completely transformed into a modern Filipino brunch concept called Breezy Restaurant and Lounge.
The metamorphosis was orchestrated by Newport Coast resident Jasmin Gonzalez. Gonzalez and Dan Almquist, managing partner of Frontier Real Estate Investments, are the driving force behind some of the most inventive dining concepts in Orange County. The popular food hall Rodeo 39 Public Market in Stanton, Heritage Barbecue, Mayfield, and their next project, the 60,000-square foot River Street Walk development, which will completely transform the neighborhood are all under their purview. Gonzalez also gathered the restaurant concepts for Rodeo 39’s food hall.
“I always think I’m a talent scout,” says Jasmin Gonzalez. “I’m down for the underdog. If I believe in something then I put my all in it.”
For Breezy in San Juan Capistrano, she partnered with the creators of Shootz Hawaiian, one of Rodeo 39’s most successful tenants, and the team from Primal Cuts, a modern steak experience in Stanton. Breezy is their version of a modern Filipino coffee shop.
The menu centers around breakfast comfort food — French toast, pancakes, and breakfast burritos. But these dishes also celebrate the owners’ Filipino heritage.
When discussing the menu, their consensus was, “Let’s do all the foods we grew up with and make it more approachable for the community and just represent,” she says.
The plate-sized pancakes are served with purple-hued ube cream and toasted coconut. The eggs Benedict come with crab cakes and calamansi-infused Hollandaise sauce. Breakfast platters are packed with longanisa sausage and garlic rice. The breakfast burrito, a handheld SoCal staple, is stuffed with pork adobo. It’s one of the restaurant’s most popular items.
Breezy’s decor is bridal shower chic. Shades of pink are layered with cream-colored macrame accents and green ivy dangles from the walls. Gold-colored cutlery pops stylishly on the restaurant’s light wooden tables and the generously portioned dishes are photo-friendly for social media.
“I wanted something bright and airy,” says Gonzalez of her vision for Breezy. “Something that represents me because I think of it as Jaz’s corner.” The décor echoes Gonzalez’s aesthetic and her love of California street art.
“That’s my signature,” she says. “I love art. That’s part of what I build.”
The art that Gonzalez gravitates toward reflects her upbringing. Her memories growing up in Whittier are punctuated with graffiti artists, breakdancing and hip-hop. She wanted the restaurant to echo that feeling. So at Breezy, artist James Haunt collaborated with DEFER to create a pink mural of a woman looking over her shoulder as if she were emerging from the ocean. The piece is subtle, cool, and it also includes a Hawaiian lei which nods to Breezy’s laid-back islander vibe.
The casual atmosphere extends to Breezy’s dining experience. A front counter located near the entrance of the restaurant allows guests to order acai bowls and coffee drinks for takeaway. (Gonzalez’s favorite concoction is the Breezy latte flavored with tres leches and cinnamon.) Behind the wall is the main dining room with a view of the restaurant’s semi-open kitchen. The menu features Filipino breakfast staples and tastes from Gonzalez’s childhood. She also uses Breezy to highlight AAPI creators in the hospitality industry.
“I’ve been given opportunities and a platform to express their creativity,” she says. “I love finding the up-and-comers. That’s my sweet spot.”
Anne Marie Damaso oversees Breezy’s coffee program. The owners of Shootz Hawaiian: Michael Dancel, Harold Walters, Christian Solomona and Noal Perez, and the Primal Cuts team, combined forces to bring Gonzalez’s vision for Breezy to life.
Knowing that they’re a part of the community in San Juan Capistrano, Gonzalez encourages her team to support local purveyors. The beans are roasted by Hidden House Coffee, whose first cafe is located on nearby Los Rios Street. “The bread we use is 61 Hundred bread. Karlo has a cottage out here,” she says. Besides being local, she also shares a cultural connection with chef Karlo Evaristo. His sourdough bakery project is named after the zip code where he grew up in the Philippines. Gonzalez and her partners hope Breezy highlights their roots.
“When you walk into a Filipino house, the first thing they want to do is feed you. That’s what I want to do here; give people that experience,” she says. “Breezy is representative of me and my heritage and my friends.”
These days, while Gonzalez calls Newport home, she still treasures San Juan Capistrano.
“It’s so charming. It’s almost like Mayberry,” she says. “When we walk down the street, especially with Dan — everyone knows everybody. There’s so much history. So much California history. It’s just such a charming town. I love this town.”
The affinity that Almquist and Gonzalez feel for the neighborhood evolved into other projects.
“What was missing is all the different food concepts that are coming in now,” Gonzalez says. “Being able to take the train and get off where you can just walk around everywhere. You don’t need to drive.”
The city’s location between cultural hubs makes it even more of a destination. “It’s on the way to San Diego. On the way to the races at Del Mar, you can just come in,” she says of San Juan Capistrano’s evolving downtown.
For Almquist and Gonzalez, their next addition to the area is the River Street Marketplace, which is slated to open next August. Plans for the project include a brewery, mixed retail and restaurants. The development will feature a green space with native vegetation. Members of the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians gave input to the development plans. Gonzalez oversees the entire Rodeo at River Street part of the development.
“What’s good is that it’s super intentional, down to who we’re bringing in,” she says. Gonzalez likens the San Juan Capistrano version of Rodeo 39 to Smorgasburg L.A.
“It has so many craft restaurants and that creative spirit. There are so many different kinds of food.” Similar to the original Rodeo 39 in Stanton, Gonzalez sees Breezy and the River Street Marketplace as a new platform for interesting up-and-coming food concepts.
“I always wanted that opportunity myself so I want to give the chance to someone else,” she says.
Information: Breezy, San Juan Capistrano, 31761 Camino Capistrano; 949-373-5218; experiencebreezy.com
