The City Council will be discussing tonight, Oct. 21, if it wants to consider making changes to the permit for a weekly gathering of car enthusiasts at the Outlets in San Clemente.
South OC Cars and Coffee attracts between 1,000 and 3,000 vehicles during the two-hour event each weekend – including exotic cars, vintage rides, sports cars, hot rods, motorcycles and more – and crowds of spectators who show up to marvel at the array.
Cars and Coffee started at the Outlets in 2018 under a special events permit, but following community complaints in 2020 and 2021, the Planning Commission approved a permit specifically in 2022 for the weekly events with tightened restrictions to parking and noise and addressing public safety concerns.
The operator has since added signage to encourage attendees to exit the Outlets near the freeway, rather than near homes, established an online feedback system, and provided logs of public correspondence as required, according to a city staff report to councilmembers.
It was also required to hire security and have at least 15 volunteers to help manage the event.
Following complaints regarding off-site speeding or vehicle noise, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the California Highway Patrol have conducted targeted enforcement operations at and around the event, resulting in some citations, vehicle impoundments and arrests for off-site violations, city officials said.
Tonight, the council could decide it wants to further public discussion on whether to modify or revoke the event’s permit.
South OC Cars & Coffee’s popularity grew during the pandemic as people were looking for events outdoors. But during 2020 through 2021, there were 17 complaints to the city about the event.
In response, the operators added the on-site signage for directions and rules of the event. They were also required to have an email contact on their website, as well as a log of correspondence for complaints.
Since 2023, there have been five email interactions, according to city staff. Mostly about speed or noise of vehicles on public streets, and one complaint was about overflow parking in the residential neighborhood across from the outlets.
The Sheriff’s Department has regularly patrolled the event, but in 2025 has sent patrols every Saturday, officials said. In March 2025, CHP gave 121 citations and had five 30-day vehicle seizures. There were also four arrests, three for felonies. During OCSD’s May enforcement, there were 56 citations given and two vehicles towed.
From a review of the Cars and Coffee operations, the event operators are abiding by the currently included conditions of approval, city staffers said in their report to the council. “However, in review of the logs of code compliance and police complaints or calls for service, there is evidence of off-site vehicle code violations by some participants arriving to, or leaving from, the event.”
One neighbor complained about revving and burnouts, while another wrote that she was stuck in traffic for an hour, and another vented about people parking in the nearby Sea Summit neighborhood.
The event prides itself on being a free community event that “brings joy to thousands of people of all ages.”
It’s not just about cars, but a weekly gathering and social pilgrimage for friends and families alike, co-founder Simon Wehr wrote to the city.
The event draws revenue and jobs to the city and has helped put San Clemente on the map with three television shows shot on location, including “The World According to Jeff Goldblum,” on Disney+, he noted.
The event’s founders have worked diligently with the city during and since the conditional use permit process, “taking every suggestion, request, and requirement seriously,” a letter to the city reads, adding the operators have also implemented additional measures to “ensure the event remains safe, compliant, and respectful of the community.”
Between 30 to 60 volunteers help each week to provide security and traffic control, many who are Marines from Camp Pendleton, the letter says, and weekly staff meetings are held and there are reminders online each week to followers about rules, speeding and revving cars.
Those who violate are banned from the event, the operators said.
There have been only five complaints or suggestions in recent years, all of which have been addressed immediately with no further responses, they said, adding, “Furthermore, we have not been informed of a single complaint by the city,” noting that they were surprised at harsh comments by councilmembers at their last meeting.
It’s a family community event, they said, “not a street takeover with lawless attendees and troublemakers.”
The City Council meets at 5:30 p.m. tonight at City Hall, 910 Calle Negocio.