Chef Tim Hollingsworth is bringing his first Orange County restaurant to Anaheim, with OCVibe announcing that the James Beard-winning chef will open a wood-fire dining concept inside the 100-acre district surrounding Honda Center. The restaurant is expected to be among the standalone eateries opening in late 2027, part of a wave of chef-driven openings transforming the area.
According to a news release detailed by prnewswire.com, the restaurant will serve chef-driven American cuisine, with pizzas, meats and seasonal vegetables prepared over an open flame. The space is also set to include a visible raw bar and pastry station, giving diners a front-row view of the kitchen’s moving parts. Interiors will draw from Southern California’s mid-century design heritage, aiming for the feel of a lived-in home rather than a typical restaurant dining room, per the same release.
Hollingsworth’s culinary pedigree runs deep. He spent more than a decade at Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry before leaving in 2012 to open Otium, a now-shuttered restaurant next to the Broad museum. Otium featured casual indoor and outdoor spaces for guests to unwind over an eclectic menu. In 2010, he received the James Beard Foundation’s Rising Star Chef of the Year Award, the news release notes.
From Otium to Chain: A Career Built on Reinvention
Before Otium closed, Hollingsworth told the Daily News that its menu would draw from “Asian, Mexican, Mediterranean, French. Really anything,” reflecting a chef unwilling to box himself into a single cuisine. He went on to co-found Chain with B.J. Novak in 2012, a concept that reimagined nostalgic menu items from chain restaurants, and later developed concepts nationwide with Ten Five Hospitality, Patina Group, H.Wood Group and Caruso.
“I’ve spent much of my career cooking in Los Angeles, and over the years, I’ve welcomed so many guests from Orange County,” Hollingsworth said in the release, adding that he is excited to bring a new offering to Anaheim. His vision for the new restaurant is a warm, familiar neighborhood-style spot with a lively atmosphere and personal hospitality, according to the announcement.
OCVibe's Culinary Buildout Gains Steam
Anthony Olheiser, OCVibe’s senior vice president of hospitality, described Hollingsworth in the release as talented, hospitable and connected to the Southern California community, saying the district aims to partner with chefs who tell authentic stories and create places people want to gather. Hollingsworth is the third restaurateur announced for the district, joining chefs Roy Choi and Damon Cho, according to the Orange County Business Journal. Choi is separately planning to open his restaurant Best Friend as a standalone eatery elsewhere in the district, as reported by the Orange County Register.
Spanish American chef José Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen, is also set to debut a signature restaurant within Sena, Anaheim’s first hotel in Marriott’s Autograph Collection portfolio, which is slated to open in 2029 and is being designed by Rockwell Group with hospitality and guest service overseen by Sage Hospitality Group. The Register reports the eatery will occupy the hotel’s ground floor with access for locals and visitors alongside overnight guests, and will feature views of OCVibe’s South Plaza and Honda Center. “José Andrés and his team will open a restaurant at the upcoming Sena,” the outlet noted, with Andrés saying he loves California and his team is excited to bring a restaurant to the community.
A 50,000-Square-Foot Market Hall Anchors the Food Scene
Beyond standalone restaurants, OCVibe’s dining lineup centers on Katella Commons, a 50,000-square-foot market hall that will house more than 35 food and beverage experiences, including 21 chef-driven kitchens and six original bar and lounge concepts. Chef Debbie Lee was previously announced as bringing two concepts to that market hall — Pado, a Korean-inspired raw and seafood bar, and Mokja, a Korean bodega and snack café — according to ocvibe.com. The same source describes OCVibe’s culinary partnership model as replacing the traditional landlord-tenant structure with a turnkey, partnership-driven framework for chefs.
OCVibe’s first district phase, which includes a concert hall, market hall and office space, is expected to open in 2027, with standalone restaurants like Hollingsworth’s beginning to open later that year. Dan Young, OCVibe’s executive director of development, has said the broader collaboration around the district aims to create a distinctive Orange County hospitality experience. Reporting on the project’s financing has varied, with one release describing OCVibe as privately funded with a 5 billion dollar commitment from the Samueli Family, while the Orange County Business Journal has described it as a 4 billion dollar mixed-use hub backed by Henry and Susan Samueli.
