The Great Park Neighborhoods got their first restaurant on September 4, 2026. In-N-Out Burger opened at 7900 Great Park Blvd. as the first tenant at The Canopy, a 12-acre center that Almquist Development is building in the Great Park Neighborhoods. The developer's site still describes the center as "coming late 2026," and that phrase hides how long the full opening will take.
Taken together, the developer's announcements, the tenant pages and the City of Irvine's own construction reports describe at least three separate schedules. One group of tenants is due in the coming months. A second group, led by the grocery anchor, points to 2027. The third piece is a second phase of buildings plus a converted aircraft hangar, and the City estimates that work will wrap up around winter 2027/28. The burger drive-through came first, but it is the tenant least like the coffee, bagel and grocery stops that will make up most of the center.
The one tenant with a confirmed date
In-N-Out is the only business at The Canopy you can visit today. It is built for volume. The dining room seats 84, the patio seats 36 more, and the drive-through queue holds 33 vehicles. Under the master plan the city's planning commission approved in 2023, that queue starts as two lanes and narrows to one at the pickup window. The restaurant covers about 3,860 square feet.
Its hours also set it apart from the rest of the lineup. It opens at 10:30 a.m. every day and stays open until 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 1:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The location has a manager and about 70 employees. Both the City and the developer have called The Canopy the first retail-and-dining project in the Great Park neighborhood, so these hours make In-N-Out the latest-open option around for now.
The first wave, announced but undated
The tenant roster says much more about what The Canopy will be like day to day. The Orange County Register reported a first wave of signed food leases in March 2026.
- Chicha San Chen
- H&H Bagels
- JJANG Yakiniku and Social House
- Osen Urban Table
- Philz Coffee
- Shootz
- The Taco Stand
When In-N-Out opened, the center named five more: McConnell's Fine Ice Creams, Palmetto Superfoods, Baba's Hot Chicken, Brooks Running and La Jolla Cosmetic. The Orange County Business Journal reported that these businesses would "begin opening this year." Dan Almquist, the developer's founder and CEO, said in a statement, "This is just the beginning, with many more openings ahead."
"Begin opening this year" is a target for the group, and nobody has given individual dates. Shootz is the one first-wave tenant whose own operator has said when to expect it. Co-founder Michael Dancel told the Irvine Standard the Canopy location is expected "late this year or in early 2027." The Canopy's Shootz page still says "Coming soon." If one named tenant's window already reaches into 2027, the rest of the first wave could easily open across both years.
Nothing we reviewed reports that any of the March tenants has dropped out. The developer's current directory still lists all of them.
The grocery anchor is on a later clock
For most households near the Great Park, the tenant that matters most is T&T Supermarket. Its Canopy page gives the address as 7100 Great Park Blvd., Building 2, and labels it "Coming soon" with no date. In March, the Register reported that this first Orange County T&T was expected in early 2027, after the center's initial late-2026 opening. A September Register story said "in the spring" and didn't give a year.
So the store most likely to change weekly errands is not due with the late-2026 group. Every source we found puts it at early 2027 or later, and none gives a firm date.
Canopy 2 and Hangar 10 run into 2027 and beyond
The City's September 2026 report on Great Park design and construction projects shows how much of the center is still being built.
The Canopy 2 Site Improvements project is a joint effort between the City and Almquist Development + Investment. It covers demolition, grading, utilities, roadway, a dedicated parking lot, landscaping and four retail buildings. It also extends Hornet Drive to reach The Canopy and adds a back-of-house road. Work started in March, and the City estimates completion by winter 2027/28. In September, crews were focused on building the parking lot, and that work was set to continue into the following month.
Hangar 10 sits inside that phase. A former base-era aircraft hangar is being redeveloped into a single-story building with several tenants on a 9,571-square-foot lot. The City describes it as a new retail, food and beverage, and recreational space designed to reflect the original structure. Construction is scheduled to start in December, with completion expected by summer 2027. The September update says City staff were still onboarding the contractor, who was expected to mobilize on site in the following month.
The full timeline, firm dates and estimates
| What | Where | Status | Timing and source |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-N-Out Burger | 7900 Great Park Blvd. | Open | Opened Sept. 4, 2026 |
| First-wave restaurants and shops | The Canopy | Announced | "Begin opening this year," per Sept. 4 announcement |
| Shootz | The Canopy | Coming soon | "Late this year or in early 2027," per co-founder |
| T&T Supermarket | 7100 Great Park Blvd., Bldg. 2 | Coming soon | Early 2027 per March report; no posted date |
| Hangar 10 | Canopy 2 site | Contractor onboarding | Start December; finish by summer 2027 per City |
| Canopy 2 site improvements | Bosque area | Under construction | Finish by winter 2027/28 per City |
Only the top row is a fact you can schedule around. Every other row is an estimate from the operator, the developer or the City, and some estimates have already moved. Shootz's window now stretches into 2027, and T&T went from "early 2027" to "spring."
What's on at the Great Park this October
The park is busy this month, even while most of The Canopy is behind construction fencing.
Irvine Global Village Festival, 25th anniversary. Saturday, October 10, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Great Park, 8000 Great Park Blvd. The City is promising performances, cultural activities and more than 30 food vendors, with free admission and free general parking.
Mega Night Market. Great Park Live's events page lists this Asian food, music and cultural festival for October 17 and 18. The listing page carries a June 2026 publication date, so check the date before you go.
Ektaa Diwali Fest. Listed at Great Park Live on October 24, 1 to 9 p.m.
Monster Splash. Also October 24, 1 to 5 p.m., at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center. It has a floating pumpkin patch, trick-or-treating on the pool deck and other seasonal activities.
Holiday Faire. Saturday, November 7, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Great Park, with handmade gifts and local vendors.
All of these events bring crowds onto Great Park Blvd. In-N-Out's 33-car queue is now on the same road, so leave extra time getting in and out on festival weekends.
The Canopy's staged opening will shape the Great Park Neighborhoods for the next two years, and Tina Tan Group is tracking each tenant as it opens. If you own a home near The Canopy and want to know how the new center might factor into its value, request your home valuation and we'll walk you through it.
