“It’s awesome to be the orchestrator of such joy.”
Alicia Cox has been one with Huntington Beach’s coastline for years, transforming its sands into hubs of community, celebration and good grub, making her the “queen of concessions” in Orange County. This year, the founder and CEO of Prjkt Restaurant Group returns with two new distinctive entries in her portfolio: SeaSalt Honky Tonk at the Beach and the newly minted PCH Tacos, beachfront spots that have quickly gained a following.
SeaSalt Honky Tonk is Cox’s love letter to a new movement she’s championing: “Orange Country,” a merging of Orange County’s vibe with the twang of modern country music, live bands, line dancing and barbecue. She even carefully selected quotes from artists like Morgan Wallen and Kenny Chesney to adorn the venue. (Her favorite quote is from John Pardi’s “Heartache on the Dance Floor,” the first song her husband sent her when they started dating.)
She says that her Bolsa Chica State Beach spot, a reimagining of its former incarnation, SeaSalt at the Beach, also operated by Cox, might be the only honky tonk spot at a beach. “Which couldn’t represent Orange County better,” she pointed out, noting that it’s “California country at its finest.”
Most notably, Honky Tonk partnered with Daniel and Brenda Castillo’s Heritage Barbecue in San Juan Capistrano, widely regarded as one of the best barbecue spots in the Golden State. “We will have a menu people will recognize from Heritage, like nachos, tacos, burritos and more,” said Brenda Castillo in an April interview.
Cox flits between her seven locations (with her eighth, California Fork and Spoon, to be located on Huntington State Beach near Brookhurst Street, on the way at an unannounced date) to ensure everything is just right. “Every weekend I go to every single one,” she said. While she doesn’t play favorites among her brick-and-mortar venues, she has a particular fondness for Sundays at SeaSalt Honky Tonk for its Redneck Rodeo. “The musicians start the day with the national anthem, and they bring someone new out each time to sing it,” she revealed. “It’s such a fun party.”
When it came time to renew her leases, a grueling 500-page bidding process that she described as “like writing a book,” Cox knew she wanted to evolve her offerings. Enter PCH Tacos. She felt the beach was missing a crucial element, a focus on our Latino and Mexican populace. “Who are we without our Hispanic communities?’ she asks, emphasizing the demographic’s prominence in Southern California.
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PCH Tacos, which she said features a “Cabo vibe,” has teamed up with radio station Mega 96.3, owned by the Spanish Broadcasting System, for DJing. The space is also decked out with a Calaveras theme and focuses on Mexican fare popular in California, from tacos to aqua chilies and aqua frescas. On a stylistic note, Cox uses colorful, fluttering canopies at the venue, used to combat the characteristically windy environs of Bolsa, which double as a visual magnet.
“When I updated my leases, I then came up with new, fresh concepts that I thought spoke better to my community,” she added.
Beyond the food and music, Cox is keen on creating more inclusive spaces. She’s proud of her work with the LGBTQ community; in early June, she once again teamed up with Luke Nero of Strut (Costa Mesa’s queer nightclub) to host pride parties at PCH Tacos and Sahara Sandbar.
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“I can look out at a sea of people and see the diversity of everybody at the beach all coming together in unity,” she exclaimed. “For that day, they don’t care about politics, and they don’t care about our …issues that we have among each other.” Instead, she notes, they sing, dance and soak up vitamin D. “It’s free,” she stressed. “All of the entertainment is free. There’s not a cover charge, there’s no VIP, everybody is equal.” For her, “that, in and of itself, is the richest reward that I’ve been able to receive.”
Her eateries are a collaborative effort with California State Parks. Cox holds two state contracts, one for Bolsa Chica State Beach and another for Huntington State Beach, with her mission to redefine how people “recreate.” Typically, beachgoers take to the waves, play volleyball or build sand castles, but these concessions were, as she puts it, “sitting empty” years ago. Each of the concessions now offer a different vibe, embodying the spirit of Southern California of “all walks of life.”
As if running a growing empire wasn’t enough, Cox dropped her first cookbook in December, “California — Fork & Spoon Vol. 1: A Culinary Story.” The book is a collection of her recipes from her 15-year culinary journey. Now 45, she wants to tell the story of how she got here, from opening her first restaurant at 31, through phases of barbecue, pizza, California cuisine and wine. “It’s like a story of Huntington Beach’s culinary journey,” she noted.
In self-published book, which sold about 500 copies during the holiday season, you’ll find recipes for the SeaSalt Beach Burrito, Beer Can Chicken, a section dedicated to pizza (including her pizza nachos), Birria Ramen, cocktails, desserts and more. Without a traditional publishing deal or distribution, she’s promoted her book with book signings, cooking classes and even an appearance on former “Real Housewives of Orange County” castmate Kelly Dodd’s podcast.
Cox has also turned her demanding career into a teaching moment for her daughter (for whom Sahara SandBar and Pizza is named), instilling in her the importance of advocacy and giving back. They’ve partnered with Families Forward, donating backpacks and toys, while raising awareness to help struggling families in Orange County. “I’ve been putting her in the forefront of that and making sure that at a young age, that becomes her mantra.”
Her concessions stay open until the autumn months, when temperatures drop to a glacial mid-60 degrees. In the meantime, as summer strikes, Cox’s concessions provide a temporary oasis on the congested sands during a contentious year. When she’s working, she observes the crowds at her venues, noting everyone is “in a state of happiness”
“How can you be mad when you’re listening your favorite music and you’re sitting among strangers and everyone’s smiling?” she asked. “The energy is contagious.”