In early June, the Sun Newspapers counted six empty commercial spaces on Main Street. Five months later, several of those windows have a name on them, and most of the names belong to places that serve food. A wine bar has opened. A French bakery has its logo up. A waffle shop has its permit. The largest change is a former bank building that is being rebuilt as a restaurant.
If you walk Old Town often, you've probably seen the paper on the windows and the construction crews. Here is where each storefront stands as we head into the season of the tree lighting and the Christmas parade.
Old Town storefronts, one address at a time
| Address | What it was | What's coming | Status as of late October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 137 Main | Old Town Café | Chaupain Artisan Bakery | Remodel underway, "late 2026" opening on signage |
| 210 Main | Vacant in June | Solera Kitchen + Wine Bar | Open since June |
| 226 Main | Christian Science Reading Room | POM Waffles | Approved by planners, opening date TBD |
| 246 Main | Vacant in March | Seal Beach Vintage | Open |
| 327 Main | Vacant | Zaine Ashton Boys Collection | Scheduled to open June 3, 2026 |
| Former Bank of America | Bank branch | A restaurant, operator not yet named | Demolition and conversion underway |
The table also shows the empty spaces. The Sun's June inventory listed 214 and 214A Main Street as unoccupied, and it noted that 214 sits back from the street and had been missed in earlier counts. In August, District Two Councilman Ben Wong said the owners of the old Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf building at Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway were looking for a long-term tenant.
Most of the new arrivals serve food
Six new uses have been reported on Main Street since spring, and four of them involve food. Seal Beach Vintage and Zaine Ashton Boys Collection add retail. The bakery, the wine bar, the waffle shop and the bank-turned-restaurant fill the street's more visible spaces.
Solera Kitchen + Wine Bar, 210 Main
When the Sun took its June count, 210 Main still showed a kitchen and wine bar "scheduled to open in the near future," with no date. It came quickly after that. A July announcement on Business Wire said Solera soft-opened June 15 and held its grand opening June 29. Solera describes itself as a kitchen, wine bar and charcuterie restaurant. Of the new food spots, it's the only one you can visit this holiday season with certainty.
Chaupain Artisan Bakery, 137 Main
The Old Town Café space on the 100 block was still empty in June. By August, the Sun reported that Community Development Director Shaun Temple had confirmed in a July email that Chaupain Artisan Bakery would replace the café. The bakery's logo was already in the window, and the owners had announced on Facebook in June that they were breaking ground on their fifth location.
Patch reported on August 31 that signage at 137 Main Street points to a "late 2026" opening. Patch also called it Chaupain's fourth Orange County location. The Chaupain locations page still lists Seal Beach as "COMING SOON!" and gives no date. For now, the honest summary is that the remodel is in progress and the bakery has said it plans to open before the year ends.
POM Waffles, 226 Main
The Christian Science Reading Room moved to another address on Main, and a Belgian waffle shop is taking its old space. The Sun reported that the Seal Beach Planning Commission approved a waffle-and-ice-cream shop for the site on April 6. The business is POM Waffles. Its site lists 226 Main St. and says "Coming soon to Main Street, Seal Beach," with the schedule still marked TBD. According to the Sun's August coverage, the shop asked Old Town residents about it in an online survey on Nextdoor, and no opening date had been announced at that point.
A bank turns into a restaurant
Bank of America's former building is the biggest change on the street. The California Coastal Commission approved changing it from bank use to restaurant use in October 2025, according to the Sun's June inventory. By August, a demolition crew was at work, and the Sun reported that both city and state permits had been issued for the conversion.
No operator or opening date has been announced yet. Still, two levels of government have signed off, and the building is going from a place you stop at for a few minutes to one where people stay for dinner. Combined with Solera at 210 and POM at 226, it puts several new places to eat within a short walk of each other on Main.
Why the openings are moving faster
Seal Beach formed a Citizen-Council Business First Advisory Ad-Hoc Committee. The Sun says the committee is expected to take up Main Street beautification and the Main Street Specific Plan.
At the Chamber of Commerce Networking Breakfast on Thursday, Aug. 13, Councilman Wong said he was there "to talk about business first." He described how the city is working to attract businesses. As an example, the Sun reported him saying the waffle shop's owner got through planning permits in six weeks. He gave the credit to Jennifer Robles, the city's management analyst and business concierge.
A city staff member whose job is guiding new tenants through permits matters to anyone waiting for an empty storefront to fill. It also helps explain the gap between the June count of six empty spaces and the number of signs and permits you'll see on Main this month.
Holiday dates for Main Street
The holiday events this year will take place on a street with some storefronts open and others still under construction. Some of the longtime shops are tied directly into the season, too.
Chamber networking and lunch, Nov. 12 and Nov. 18. The Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce calendar lists a Networking Breakfast on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7:30 a.m. and Let's Do Lunch on Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 11:30 a.m. Councilman Wong spoke about the city's Business First push at the August edition of the same breakfast series.
Christmas Tree Lighting, Saturday, Nov. 21, 4 to 7 p.m. The tree goes up at the base of the Seal Beach Pier. The Chamber's tree lighting page promises sledding for kids, a kids' craft area, carolers, gingerbread cookies, hot cocoa, a life-size snowman for photos and a visit from Santa.
The 2026 Chamber ornament. This year's limited-edition ornament is crystal-like clear glass and shows a seal riding in Santa's sleigh. It costs $20 and is sold at Javatinis, Bogarts Coffee, Endless Summer and the Chamber office. The Chamber's warning reads, "They are $20 and will sell out."
Community Thanksgiving Dinner, Thursday, Nov. 26, 11 a.m. It's listed on the Chamber calendar for Thanksgiving Day.
48th annual Christmas Parade, Friday, Dec. 4, 7 p.m. The Seal Beach Lions Club parade runs along Main Street from the pier to Pacific Coast Highway. That puts the route right past 137 Main, 210 Main, 226 Main and the former bank building.
What to watch for before the parade
Three things could change between now and Dec. 4:
- Chaupain's opening. The bakery's own signage gives a late 2026 target, so an opening before the parade is possible but not promised.
- POM Waffles' schedule. The shop has its approval, and its site still says TBD.
- The bank building's operator. The conversion is permitted and construction is underway. Once a restaurant name is announced, the last major unknown on the street will be settled.
Zaine Ashton Boys Collection at 327 Main was scheduled to open June 3, 2026, according to the Sun. Seal Beach Vintage at 246 Main opened sometime after the Sun's March count.
If a quieter Main Street led you to wonder about your own home's value or your next move, Pirritano Group is glad to walk through what these changes in Old Town could mean for your plans. Reach out anytime, and we'll see you at the tree lighting.