The longtime Bear Brand Ranch estate of the late Golden State Foods CEO Mark Wetterau is on the market in Laguna Niguel for $19.995 million.
Built in 1993, the two-story, 11,716-square-foot home in a Spanish villa style boasts seven bedrooms, 11 bathrooms and a resort-style backyard with views of the Saddleback Mountains to the ocean.
Wetterau and his wife, Virginia, bought the home in Feburary 1999 for $3.095 million and have made updates over the years, according to records viewed at PropertyShark.com.
The property encompasses more than three-quarters of an acre and features a backyard pool with a cascading waterfall, which surrounds a fully-appointed cabana with a fireplace, bar and lounge.
Custom steel French doors connect the outdoors to the great room, which has areas for dining and sitting. A fireplace with a fieldstone surround and flanked by built-in bookcases anchors the living area, while the eat-in kitchen offers plenty of cabinet space, hidden appliances and a center island with seating.
For intimate meals, there’s a separate dining room with coffered ceilings that leads to a private courtyard with a palm-filled atrium.
The main level also contains the primary suite, with a spa-like steam shower, soaking tub and custom closets, as well as a guest retreat, a formal office, a fitness room and several entertainment spaces.
Take the stairs or elevator up to the second floor. There are four additional guest suites, including a private casita with a separate entrance, a kitchenette and a living area. There’s a playroom, bonus lounge and two bedrooms with Juliet balconies.
Other property highlights include a custom wine cellar, a sauna and hidden garden paths that lead to seating areas.
An in-ground spa, fountains and a private firepit terrace under the canopy of mature pepper trees, as well as a gated porte-cochere and a four-car garage enhance the offering.
Phillip Caruso of Arbor Real Estate has the listing.
Wetterau, who died in May 2023 at 65, was a top executive at the Irvine-based GSF for 25 years. Under what one colleague described as Wetterau’s “charismatic, energetic” leadership, the privately-held food distributor ranked among the biggest and longest-serving suppliers for McDonald’s and its affiliates produced and delivered food to Starbucks, Chick-fil-A and Taco Bell.
In August 2024, the Orange County Register reported GSF sold a controlling interest to Lindsay Goldberg, a private equity investment firm based in New York City, while still being managed and operated out of Irvine.