The first business to open in the Great Park Neighborhoods' first retail center sells burgers until 1 a.m. The business taking the most space there is a grocery store, and its last public target is early 2027. Everything else at The Canopy at Great Park opens on a schedule between those two points. For people living nearby, that order shapes this fall and winter. The trip-worthy pieces show up first. The ones meant for a Tuesday-night errand come later.
The Drive-Thru Was Phase One
In-N-Out Burger opened at 7900 Great Park Blvd. on Friday morning, Sept. 4, as the first tenant at The Canopy, the Orange County Register reported. The center covers 12 acres at the corner of Bosque and Great Park Boulevard.
The restaurant was built for cars. In its preview of the opening, the Register listed 84 seats in the dining room and 36 more on the patio. The drive-thru holds 33 vehicles and starts with two lanes that narrow to one at the pickup window. Hours run from 10:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and to 1:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
A 33-car queue and a 1:30 a.m. closing time point to a restaurant expecting drivers from well outside the immediate streets. It is the first sign of the center's character, and so far the only one anyone can visit.
A Third of the Center Is One Grocery Store
The Canopy has about 90,000 square feet of leasable space. T&T Supermarket, a Canadian Asian grocer, will take 34,000 of them as the anchor tenant, according to the Orange County Business Journal. That is more than a third of the center in one store. T&T was the first tenant announced, at the 2025 groundbreaking.
The last stated target for T&T comes from a March status update, when the Register reported that the grocer expected to open its first Southern California store "by early 2027." September coverage still calls T&T the anchor but gives no newer date. Developer Almquist expects the rest of the businesses to open "in phases starting in late 2026 through early 2027," OCBJ reported on Sept. 14.
The center's own homepage still says "Coming late 2026!" and lists no dates for individual tenants. In-N-Out is the only tenant with a confirmed opening day. Here is the latest public timing for the rest of the roster:
| Tenant | What it is | Latest timing language |
|---|---|---|
| In-N-Out Burger | Burgers, drive-thru | Opened Sept. 4, 2026 |
| T&T Supermarket | 34,000-square-foot Asian grocery anchor | "By early 2027," per March reporting |
| Shootz | Hawaiian-inspired street food | "Late this year or in early 2027" |
| H&H Bagels | New York bagel shop, first Orange County location | Phased, late 2026 to early 2027 |
| Osen Urban Table | Spinoff of Irvine's Izakaya Osen | Phased, late 2026 to early 2027 |
| Philz Coffee | Coffee | Phased, late 2026 to early 2027 |
| Chicha San Chen | Taiwanese tea | Phased, late 2026 to early 2027 |
| The Taco Stand | Tacos | Phased, late 2026 to early 2027 |
| JJANG Yakiniku and Social House | Dining | Phased, late 2026 to early 2027 |
| Sol Studio | Fitness and Pilates | Phased, late 2026 to early 2027 |
| Solestage, Sunfeel, Free People Movement, Rylee + Cru | Retail and jewelry | Phased, late 2026 to early 2027 |
Shootz is the only tenant after In-N-Out that has given its own window, and that window, reported by the Irvine Standard on Sept. 2, already reaches into 2027. The tenants that would make The Canopy part of a weekly routine are the grocery store, the coffee shop and the Pilates studio. All three fall in the open-ended phased window.
Five More Names the Directory Hasn't Added
In September, Almquist announced five more tenants: McConnell's Fine Ice Creams, Palmetto Superfoods, Baba's Hot Chicken, La Jolla Cosmetic medical spa and Brooks Running. OCBJ described the Seattle-based Brooks as making its California debut at The Canopy. In its Sept. 4 report on the In-N-Out opening, OCBJ said those five "will begin opening this year," without individual dates.
The Canopy's own directory still shows only the first-wave roster from March and leaves these five off. Anyone checking the center's website for an ice cream stop or a running store won't find them there yet.
The developer's own framing points to a long rollout. Dan Almquist, the firm's founder and CEO, told the Orange County Business Journal in a September statement:
"People have been watching this project take shape and are eager to see it come to life. This is just the beginning, with many more openings ahead."
The second wave tilts the same way the first did. Ice cream, hot chicken, a running store and a medical spa all draw visitors from outside the area. On the roster, everyday errands mostly mean the grocery store, and the grocery store has the latest target.
Until Then, the Park Next Door Fills the Calendar
The Canopy's first months line up with a full stretch of programming across Great Park Boulevard. Starting the day after this post publishes, the confirmed dates are:
- Friday, Oct. 23. Rise Against plays Great Park Live with Alkaline Trio and Teen Mortgage.
- Saturday, Oct. 24. ektaa Diwali Fest at Great Park Live, ticketed.
- Friday, Oct. 30. Halloween Movie Night at Great Park Live, billed with "Minions & Monsters" and "Hocus Pocus."
- Saturday, Nov. 7. The City of Irvine's Holiday Faire runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Palm Court Arts Complex, 8000 Great Park Blvd.
- Through Sunday, Nov. 29. "Grrrl Germs: Punk Feminism Goes Viral, 1991–2026" stays on view at the Great Park Gallery.
- Saturday, Dec. 5. Illuminate Irvine runs 3 to 7 p.m. That evening the Palm Court light display turns on, and it then runs daily from dusk to 9 p.m.
The Great Park Balloon also keeps its regular sessions on Thursday and Friday and on Saturday and Sunday, according to the city's balloon page. The Canopy's address is 7900 Great Park Blvd. and the Palm Court Arts Complex is at 8000, so the Holiday Faire and Illuminate Irvine take place a short distance from the one Canopy business already serving.
Early 2027 Is When Both Sides of the Boulevard Change
The park also has projects waiting until next year. Wild Rivers is closed for the 2026 season and plans to reopen in May 2027. The City of Irvine's September 2026 Great Park design and construction report expects utility work for Cultural Terrace Phase 3 to finish in spring 2027. That report lists no new park phase opening this fall.
T&T's "by early 2027" target, Almquist's phased openings into early 2027, the Wild Rivers reopening and the Cultural Terrace utility work all fall in the first half of next year. Between now and then, The Canopy has one drive-thru, one confirmed address and a list of nearly 20 tenants with opening windows instead of dates. When a tenant posts a date, the Palm Court lights should already be on for the season. From Dec. 5 they run every evening until 9 p.m.
Shops opening nearby can change what buyers ask about a neighborhood before the grand openings are even finished. If you own in the Great Park Neighborhoods and want to know how The Canopy's rollout might affect the timing of a sale, The Berns Team can walk through it with you. Start your 10 Day Blitz by requesting a free home valuation.
