Orange Paseo brings business back to Old Towne

The Orange Plaza has created an outside dining experience for locals to enjoy within COVID-19 safety regulations. CLARISSE GUEVARRA, Staff Photographer

The Orange Plaza, better known to Chapman students as “The Circle,” has long been a staple of Chapman’s community. Countless debates rage over whether Pizza Press or Blaze reigns supreme, whether the perfect study location is at Contra Coffee and Tea or Urth Caffe and, of course, which antique store is the best for an eerie shopping trip. 

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic initially driving away those students and Orange residents, many of these establishments were struggling with how to maintain steady foot traffic without hindering the public’s safety. The Orange City Council found a solution, developing a July plan to create what’s now known as the Orange Plaza Paseo. In order for the Paseo to come to fruition, the city closed parts of North and South Glassell Street to vehicle traffic, allowing restaurants and stores to bring their businesses outside to seat customers. 

The City of Orange’s Public Information Officer Paul Sitkoff told The Panther the paseo originated as a temporary fix, but has now been well-accepted by locals. 

“When it became clear that there was not going to be a vaccine in the near future, we found ways to allow our restaurants and businesses to conduct business while still being mindful of the state and local restrictions,” Sitkoff said. “We’re very pleased the community has embraced it the way they have and also are quite impressed with how the various restaurants have embraced making their piece of the outdoor paseo their own.”

The Orange Plaza Paseo might have originated as a simple outdoor extension of businesses in the Orange Plaza, but it’s been praised for an ambience that appeals to students, families, couples and anyone who needs a breath of fresh air. Sitkoff describes the paseo as something similar to a small European town in Paris, where “al fresco” dining and relaxing are delightfully encouraged – with the added bonus of being socially-distanced. 

Not only the locals are soaking in the Paseo; business owners are also embracing its perks. One of them is The Potting Shed, a boutique home and garden shop that has been in the Old Towne Orange Plaza for about seven years now. The owner, Jack Carlisle, told The Panther the establishments are eternally grateful for the city’s recognition of tweaking how business can be conducted during an unprecedented time. Despite the face masks and hand sanitizing stations in sight, there’s still a way to evolve and continue with as much normalcy as possible, Carlisle said.

“We are very appreciative of the City of Orange for stepping up to the plate, being creative and allowing businesses to thrive in a safe manner,” Carlisle said. “We still need to carry on our lives, we just need to do it differently these days and the city has proven they are here to help us succeed.”

Carlisle would love to see the paseo become a seasonal or regular occurrence in Orange, so that the area can fully immerse itself into the benefits of dining, shopping and strolling in Southern California – similar to Newport Beach’s Fashion Island and Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade.

“It all goes back to us being so lucky in Southern California that we had this opportunity to live outside the majority of the year in what we do on a daily basis,” Carlisle said. “I would love to see the paseo turn into a permanent fixture in Old Towne.”