Legacy Businesses in the Dana Point Harbor Face an Uncertain Future as Demolition Looms
By Breeana Greenberg
Bob Mardian was the first to open a restaurant in the newly built Dana Point Harbor in 1971.
Over five decades later, his restaurant, The Wind and Sea, is one of the few of the original restaurants remaining as the harbor is now undergoing major reconstruction.
“The only thing that will remain when the revitalization is done is the breakwaters,” Mardian said. “Everything else will be new … all new slips and all new buildings.”
The Dana Point Harbor Partners broke ground on the marina in August 2022, marking the official start of the $600-million revitalization project.
The start of the marina redevelopment came four years after the Dana Point Harbor Partners entered a 66-year lease agreement with the County of Orange to manage the harbor. The harbor partners is a collaboration of three development firms; Burnham-Ward Properties oversees the commercial core of the construction, Bellwether Financial Group oversees the marina redevelopment and R.D. Olson Development oversees the hotel redevelopment.
Since then, marina redevelopment reached 50% completion with 1,115 new slips on July 1.
On the land-side portion of the redevelopment, the harbor partners broke ground on a new parking structure in February, 2024. The harbor partners celebrated the completion of underground utility infrastructure and the three-tiered parking structure on July 2.
Before the end of the year, the harbor partners plan to begin the redevelopment of the waterfront buildings.
Though the harbor partners say they aim to mitigate the impact of construction on businesses and visitors to the harbor, many of the longstanding businesses of the original harbor closed their doors in anticipation of the massive redevelopment.
Parts of the harbor are quieter these days as demolition looms over Mariners Village.
Waterman’s Harbor restaurant closed on June 1, 2022. Harbor Grill, which first opened in 1984, closed in September 2022. El Torito closed at the end of 2023. Lil’ Skippers Snack Shack also closed and Coffee Importers relocated to the Ocean Institute campus across the harbor.
Just ahead of construction on the waterfront buildings in Mariner’s Village, Mardian closed Harpoon Henry’s in August, 50 years after he opened the doors to his second restaurant.
Mardian said the harbor partners found Harpoon Henry’s to be too similar a concept to the Wind and Sea, which he said brings a drastically different clientele.
The Wind and Sea remains one of the few restaurants left in the harbor.
Through discussions with the harbor partners, Mardian said he’s fought to keep the original footprint of his restaurant. Renderings show that the site will be developed into a three-story restaurant. Mardian said the harbor partners previously offered him the second story of the Boat House, a food hall that will be located in the former Mariner’s Village that will be renamed the Waterfront.
Orange County Fifth District Supervisor said that construction in the harbor is moving on track, with the goal of having the project completed by the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
“Since we took over, we’re seeing a lot more progress made. Things are moving pretty expeditiously," Foley said. “We have the hotels getting ready to break ground. We are getting ready to tear down some of the buildings on the commercial side. We got the parking structure up, so things are moving along.”
The next generation carries on their parent’s vision for the harbor
Before Orange County and the Army Corps of Engineers built the harbor, Mardian surfed Killer Dana before construction of the rock breakwater jetty destroyed the iconic surf break in 1966.
His first thought when he heard Orange County and the Army Corps of Engineers were building the harbor was, “‘Boy, I want to get into that harbor,’” Mardian said.
So, Mardian wrote to John Fleming, one of the three businessmen to launch the Dana Point Harbor Association and pitched him on the idea of opening a restaurant in the newly constructed harbor.
Mardian opened the Wind and Sea in the newly built harbor at 25 years old. It took a year to build the restaurant from the ground up, he said.
Bob Mardian, owner of the Wind & Sea, celebrates his restaurant's 50th anniversary on Aug. 22, 2022. Photo: Breeana Greenberg
In 1975, Mardian had the opportunity to open a second restaurant within Mariners Village in the harbor, Harpoon Henry’s.
“Dana Point was small, not very populated and not very commercial and that’s what’s neat about Dana Point,” Mardian said.
But after serving locals and visitors alike in the harbor for over 53 years, Mardian said he isn’t sure what the future will look like for the Wind and Sea and whether there’s a spot for him in the revitalized harbor.
Mardian does not expect the Wind and Sea’s current location to be demolished at least until late 2028, he said.
By then, Mardian will be 81, nearly as old as Fleming was when Mardian approached him to open the Wind and Sea.
Much of the energy needed for the harbor revitalization will come from the next generation of restaurateurs and business owners, said Shala Mansur, owner of Jon’s Fish Market.
Shala Mansur and her siblings grew up helping out at their family's restaurant, Jon's Fish Market and played in the harbor. Courtesy of Shala Mansur.
Mansur grew up shucking oysters at her family’s restaurant to earn extra pocket money for the arcade and skating rink that used to be in the harbor.
Shala began to slowly take over the day-to-day operations of Jon’s Fish Market in 2018 with the guidance of her dad, Jon, and stepmom, Sharon.
Mansur said the harbor revitalization has been years in the making. As the harbor grew over the years, Mansur said there was an increased demand for parking.
“One of the really big things that Sharon and Don Hanson were just fighting nail and tooth for, fist and cuff for, was a parking structure, because we’ll make it happen after that,” Mansur said.
“But on the fourth of July, when they opened up the parking lot, I walked over to the top of the parking lot and I watched the fireworks going off above my business and I started crying,” Mansur continued. “I’m just like, just hang on … they’re going to get it done.”
Leases have not been signed yet
Though leases for new spaces in the revitalized harbor have not been signed yet, Mansur said as long as she has a dock and a parking lot, she’ll be happy.
Mansur said in meetings with Bryon Ward, president of Burnham-Ward Properties, when asked what she wants for the future of Jon’s Fish Market, “I laid out all my plans and they were right on board.”
“Oh, I mean Bryon Ward, him and I were like kids in a candy store talking about what we’re going to do as a fish market,” Mansur said.
“But the reality is, maybe some of that will happen, maybe some of that won't happen because that’s not happening now,” Mansur continued. “We have to see what that looks like when that time comes.”
Throughout the planning and construction phase, community members have voiced concern that the harbor will lose its charm through the redevelopment.
"People are saying ‘Oh it’s going to look like Newport or Huntington Beach’ or whatever, no, it’s going to look like the Dana Point Harbor,” Mansur said. “But it’s been a delight to watch what they’ve done.”
This year, Jon’s Fish Market turned 46. For now, Mansur said she’s focused on growing her businesses.
“They have all of the resources for all of the amazing things that we really want to do to grow as a business,” Mansur said. “My job is to keep Jon’s Fish Market classic. Stay local, stay fresh, stay wild, keep the fish and chips, keep the batters, keep the chowders and keep the fun atmosphere of it.”
“You could change the walls, you could change the pain, you could change the location,” Mansur continued. “It doesn’t really matter. The core of it is what my parents built. The core of it is what we grew up doing.”
Bringing life back into the harbor
Now that the remaining businesses have all moved into Dana Wharf and the Dana Point Harbor Partners are bringing in new programming aimed to increase foot traffic into the Dana Wharf, the square feels lively again.
Donna Kalez, chief operating officer of Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching, said it felt like the early days of the harbor again, before Mariners Village construction.
“We want to introduce people to the harbor and like we’re still open,” Kalez said. “That parking structure has been so huge for us, no one complains about parking. We have a farmers market now on Wednesdays and I think it’s doing really good because of parking.”
“We’ve never experienced a season where we had unlimited parking, so for us, I mean, that’s what my dad always wanted and he almost got to see it,” Kalez continued.
As one of the first to enter the newly opened parking structure, Kalez said she had a moment to “enjoy what we’ve been waiting for for 25 years.”
Tearing up, Kalez said that seeing the new parking structure gives her hope for the future.
The Dana Point Harbor Partners opened a new parking structure on July, 2, 2025. Photo: Breeana Greenberg
When the bulldozers reach Dana Wharf, Kalez said her business can operate out of a trailer, like it did during its first year of operation while its gift shop and offices were built.
“It’s exciting, it’s overwhelming, I have big shoes to fill,” Kalez said. “My brother helps me. My family helps me. But I need to continue what my father started.”
“His goal was to introduce children and families and as many people as he could to the ocean, both whale watching and fishing and so that’s what we’ll continue to do,” Kalez continued.
