If you’ve headed to a Ducks game or just zipped by the Honda Center, you’ve likely seen the cranes and construction of OCVibe, the $5 billion “city within a city” currently reshaping roughly 100 acres of Anaheim. While the massive parking structures and upcoming 5,700-seat concert hall might grab your attention, the real soul of the project, at least for the food sect, is taking shape under a mass timber office building christened The Weave. And its sprawling food concept, formerly known as Market Hall, has officially been named Katella Commons, a 50,000-square foot, two-story dining and drink pavilion poised to become the social center of OCVibe when phase one is completed in early 2027.
Setting itself apart from standard suburban food courts (fantastic in their own right, of course) Katella Commons aims to be a culinary ecosystem featuring 21 kitchens and six distinct bar and lounge concepts.
The name itself is based on the street it’s located, Katella Avenue, which itself is a love letter to local history, honoring the Rea family, who named their 19th century ranch “Katella” after daughters Kate and Ella. As Nick Pacific, vice president of Katella Commons operations, put it, “Katella Commons is intended to be a gathering place for Anaheim. Every kitchen, bar and lounge is intentionally designed to encourage discovery.”
The upcoming space will offer both an impressive scale and variety. Pacific said that his team intentionally avoided the one-note minimalist aesthetic that, over the last decade or so, has defined so many modern developments. Instead, they leaned into the diverse “binomes” of Southern California, hiring different designers for each bar to ensure the massive footprint feels like a collection of unique spots rather than a repetitive monolith. “We looked at each bar and we brought in different designers to design each bar,” he said. “Each of the spaces have their own unique feel.”
The lineup of beverage concepts offers six spots. For those seeing a more intimate affair, Bar Bacchia will feature a “moody wine cave” vibe focused on amaro and whiskey. Guests can look forward to spritzes, classic cocktails, beer, wine and small plates.
For a more refined evening, The Vesper Lounge will bring a Scandinavian and Japanese design to Katella Commons for botanical-forward cocktails, martinis, and spritzes. Of special note, this spot will have a grand piano.
For the daytime crowd, Rea’s Ranch will provide a desert-inspired spot for natural wines and craft beer in a “porch-style environment that “will have a Joshua Tree, desert-y kind of feel to is,” according to Pacific. Meanwhile, the Barrel Bar (shaped like a literal barrel) will serve as a European-style cafe that transitions from breakfast to late-night small plates.
On the higher-energy side, Pacific described a yet-to-be named pavilion with “maximalist ’80s, David Bowie” vibes that will be aimed at the late-night crowd for “over the top fun.” And an also yet-to-be-named tequila space, billed as “the social heart of Katella Commons,” will feature a design of lush greenery and a drinks menu of cocktails and frozen tipples.
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Chef Rémi Lauvand (formerly of Montrachet in New York City) has been brought on to work with the OCVibe team to shape the overall Katella Commons experience for guests while offering culinary guidance. As reported last year, Chef Debbie Lee is just one of the chefs bringing her own Korean-American concepts, Pado and Mokja, to the upcoming venue, which will be two of the 21 kitchens within the food hall.
Pacific and Lauvand are building a model that supports chefs directly, handling the permitting and kitchen design so the talent can focus on the food. “We’re really kind of curating to the chef,” said Pacific. “Regardless if they spend money or not, we want people just to come here and enjoy the space.”
And, yes, the famed Golden Bear nightclub, originally located in Huntington Beach, is still expected to reopen at OCVibe.
For the transit-minded, accessibility is a major win. OCVibe is a stone’s throw from the ARTIC station, with a dedicated pedestrian bridge over Katella Avenue that will eventually allow visitors to walk from the train station directly to Katella Commons in roughly four minutes.
Ultimately, OCVibe hopes to be a 365-day destination. “We want the people from the local surrounding community to feel like this is being built for them,” said Pacific. “Regardless if they spend money or not, we want people to come here and enjoy the space.
Once the entirety of the project, which broke ground in 2024, is slated for completion in 2033, OCVibe is poised to bring 20 acres of open space to the area, as well as three miles of connected walking trails, more than 2,500 new residences, 35-plus dining options and three entertainment venues.