"It's a full-circle moment for us," Dana Wharf co-owner Donna Kalez said when Dana Point Harbor Partners announced the Wharf closure. "Our founder, my father Don Hansen, launched the business from a trailer in 1971 while the original harbor was under construction."
Fifty-five years later, Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching is moving back into a trailer. The Wharf closes to the public on Nov. 1 so Phase 4 of the Commercial Core revitalization can begin. Dana Wharf and Catalina Express will run from temporary trailers beside the Dana Point Harbor parking structure, with excursions seven days a week. The restaurants and shops around them are closing their doors on Oct. 31.
That split shapes the next stretch of harbor life. The Wharf's storefronts are going dark, some after nearly half a century. What keeps running is the part of the harbor that never depended on a fixed address: the boats, the markets in the parking structure, pop-ups on short terms, and a calendar of events held on open ground and on the water.
Who Is Pouring Through Oct. 31
Wind & Sea went first. It closed Sept. 15 after 54 years in the harbor, because Building 1 needs the most extensive construction. The rest of the Wharf has one more month. These are the businesses Dana Point Times reported as closing or relocating:
- Turk's, a family-owned restaurant and bar on the harbor since 1984. Owner Candy Varteresian says the team "will be pouring and serving daily through Oct. 31 on the Wharf." She hopes to return after construction and is looking at local options in the meantime.
- Proud Mary's, part of the harbor since 1977. Owner Steve Zdrakas, who bought the restaurant 21 years ago, is considering reopening elsewhere if he finds an existing restaurant space. He has no plans in place yet.
- Golden Galleon Boutique, which Marla Balmuth has owned since 1979 and now runs with her daughter Briana. They are looking for a temporary local location and plan to return when the new harbor opens.
- Frisby Cellars, which moved into the former Waterman's Harbor building in 2025. Its Wharf location closes Oct. 31, and the Rancho Mission Viejo location stays open for events and wine club members.
- Art Sea + Gift Chateau and Top Brass, both expected to close Oct. 31. Vintage Yacht Club is looking into relocation options.
Frisby has the only announced send-off so far. The "Last Boorah" runs Saturday, Oct. 31, from 5 to 9 p.m., with a DJ, a costume contest, wine, beer and food. As of today, none of the departing businesses has confirmed a temporary address. Turk's, Golden Galleon, Art Sea + Gift Chateau, Frisby and Wind & Sea are all still in talks about returning to the finished project, according to Dana Point Harbor Partners. Wind & Sea owner Bob Mardian said a reimagined concept in the future Boathouse had come up, but no agreement has been finalized.
This is the second wave of closures this year. Beach Harbor Pizza, Village Market, Bella Bazaar and The Brig left Mariners Village on April 30.
The Newest Food on the Wharf Came on Short Terms
The Wharf's legacy tenants count their time in decades. Its newest arrival counts in weeks. Culture Pizza soft-launched on Friday, Aug. 21, outside the former Jon's Fish Market, next door to Frisby Cellars. The weekend residency, called "Culture on the Coast," is set to run through the end of October.
Owner Daniel Neugebauer runs it with his wife, Amy Neugebauer, and their friend Jordon Arsenault. He told Dana Point Times how quickly the harbor deal came together: "We negotiated terms, and I was in there in a week." He makes Neo-Neapolitan sourdough with organic flour and California-grown tomatoes and olive oil, and ferments the dough for two to seven days. The signature Drunken Sailor comes with vodka sauce, mozzarella, provolone, pepperoni, basil, burrata and hot honey. You can carry pizza into Frisby or bring Frisby's wine and beer out to the patio.
The harbor's event listing puts Culture on the Coast on the Wharf on selected Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 7 p.m. The soft launch sold out in under two hours. Neugebauer has no permanent location yet, but he has been given the harbor leasing manager's contact information and plans to reach out.
The Parlor Pop Up follows the same model for one afternoon. It serves smashburgers in the Wharf Courtyard on Oct. 16, from 1 to 7 p.m.
The Parking Structure Becomes the Front Door
The 984-stall parking structure was finished in 2025 as part of the project's first two phases. It sits at 799 Harbor Way, and parking is free for four hours. After Nov. 1 it also becomes the harbor's main gathering space. The fishing and Catalina trailers will sit right beside it. The Certified Farmers Market, which launched in 2025, runs every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., behind and inside the structure.
The structure also hosts Harbor After Dark, a Modern Makers Mart holiday night market, on Nov. 12 and Nov. 19 from 4 to 8 p.m. It will have food trucks, and Coco Bloom Coffee is listed as the beverage vendor. Coco Bloom is listed as a market vendor, not a harbor storefront. Dana Point Harbor Partners reported that the coffee shop was moving to 1500 Balboa Boulevard in Newport Beach.
Katie Sorensen, marketing director for Burnham-Ward Properties, one of the three firms behind Dana Point Harbor Partners, has confirmed the rest of the harbor stays open after the Wharf closes. Whale watching, sportfishing, Catalina Express and community events will continue through construction. The current construction fence line marks off the work zone and keeps public access to the boardwalk and the boater docks.
The Calendar Never Needed a Storefront
Every event on the harbor's fall and winter schedule takes place in a park, a parking structure or on the water. None of them depends on a Wharf building.
- Oct. 17, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: The second annual Dogapalooza at Bump Out Park, 24354 Dana Point Harbor Drive.
- Oct. 30, 10 to 10:45 a.m.: Little Folk Club at Bump Out Park.
- Oct. 31, 5 to 9 p.m.: Frisby Cellars' Last Boorah on the Wharf's final night.
- Nov. 12 through Jan. 10, 2027: Happy Harbor Days holiday lights.
- Nov. 12 and Nov. 19, 4 to 8 p.m.: Harbor After Dark in the parking structure.
- Nov. 26, 7 to 11 a.m.: The 49th Annual Dana Point Turkey Trot.
- Dec. 11, 12 and 13: The 51st Boat Parade of Lights. Dana Wharf runs viewing cruises each night at 6:30 p.m.
Sorensen also named the Festival of Whales as one of the events continuing through construction.
The Water Side Is Further Along Than the Land Side
On the land side, the Commercial Core has no announced tenants. Burnham-Ward's FAQ says Dana Point Harbor Partners has not named any new restaurants or shops. Phase 3 demolition started Feb. 17. That phase calls for seven new waterfront buildings totaling more than 100,000 square feet. Phase 4 on the Wharf adds about 20,000 square feet, with eight new tenants, up to four returning tenants, public gathering areas and new public art. In March, the OC Register reported the developer's target of finishing in the fourth quarter of 2027 and having tenants open in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics. Sorensen described this fall's schedule as "critical to achieving harbor opening ahead of LA28."
The marina is much further along. Phase 12 began June 1 and opened for occupancy Sept. 14. The Marina at Dana Point is now more than four-fifths through its 15-phase rebuild, and Phase 13 is scheduled to start this fall. New slips are already in use while the Wharf behind them is fenced off. For Dana Wharf, the trailer is a temporary stop. Kalez said the company looks forward to "our much-needed and long-overdue home at the new Wharf."
We're keeping track of which harbor businesses announce temporary homes and which tenants sign on for the new Commercial Core. If you'd like to talk about what the rebuild means for your part of Dana Point, the team at Arbor Real Estate is happy to hear from you. Let's Connect.
