In 1971 Don Hansen started a sportfishing business from a trailer on a lot where the new harbor was still being built. Fifty-five years later, Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching is going back to a trailer, this time beside the 984-space parking structure. Co-owner Donna Kalez told The Log that it's "a full-circle moment for us."
It fits the rest of the harbor too. On November 1, 2026, the Wharf closes to the public for Phase 4 of the Commercial Core Revitalization. Every business still operating in Buildings 2 through 5 ends operations on October 31. The water side of the harbor stays open: the boats, the beach, the pier and the launch ramp. Most of the harbor's sit-down breakfasts, waterfront bar stools and browse-and-buy shops will be gone until the rebuilt commercial core opens all at once, ahead of the LA28 Summer Olympics. For about the next year and a half, Dana Point Harbor works mostly as a boat harbor.
The first restaurant was also the last one
The winding down started before this fall. Beach Harbor Pizza, Village Market, Bella Bazaar and The Brig were scheduled to close their Harbor Village locations on April 30 as Phases 3 and 5 sped up, according to Dana Point Times. Harpoon Henry's had already closed in August 2025 after 50 years at its harbor location.
Then on September 15, Wind & Sea Restaurant served its last guests. It had opened August 22, 1972. When it closed, Dana Point Times described it as the last original restaurant still operating in the harbor. Its founder, Mardian, told the paper: "I was the first restaurant, and here I am the last restaurant." Building 1 had to be emptied before abatement and demolition. Wind & Sea had been on a month-to-month lease for about three years while redevelopment worked its way through the harbor. Its ownership was still in talks with Dana Point Harbor Partners about "a reimagined concept in the final project," according to The Log.
So the businesses closing on October 31 are the last of the harbor's longtime waterfront food and retail tenants.
Who is still on the Wharf, and what each has said about next
This is each business's plan as reported over the summer. As of today, Coco Bloom is the only one with a confirmed new address.
| Business | On the Wharf since | Last day | What comes next |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turk's | 1984 | Serving daily through Oct. 31 | Plans to return to the new Wharf. Exploring local options in the meantime |
| Proud Mary's | 1977 | Oct. 31 | May reopen elsewhere if an existing restaurant space turns up. No plan in place yet |
| Top Brass | n/a | Oct. 31 | Expected to end operations |
| Golden Galleon | 46 years in the harbor | Oct. 31 | Owners looking for a temporary local spot and intend to return |
| Art Sea Gift Chateau | n/a | Oct. 31 | In leasing talks for the finished project |
| Frisby Cellars & Brewing | Moved into the former Waterman's Harbor building in 2025 | Oct. 31 | Moving operations to its Rancho Mission Viejo location. In talks to return |
| Vintage Yacht Club | n/a | Oct. 31 | Exploring local relocation options |
| Coco Bloom Coffee | n/a | Oct. 31 | Café at 1500 W. Balboa Blvd. in Newport Beach, targeted for early 2027 |
Turk's owner Candy Varteresian invited regulars to come by before the end. She told Dana Point Times, "Our team will be pouring and serving daily through Oct. 31 on the Wharf." Steve Zdrakas has owned Proud Mary's for 21 years. He told the same paper that his customers call it "the best place for breakfast and lunch," and that people have marked engagements, weddings and retirements there.
Coco Bloom's timing has moved. The July announcement said its Newport Beach café would open "this winter." The company's own site now says early 2027.
What's on the Wharf calendar before the gates close
There's no single farewell event on the books. Instead, the harbor calendar has a few final reasons to come down in the last three weeks.
- Friday, October 16. A waterfront food pop-up from The Parlor.
- Sunday, October 25. Another date in The Parlor pop-up series.
- Friday, October 30, 1 to 7 p.m. Culture Pizza's pop-up on the Wharf, with craft beer and wine pairings at Frisby Cellars.
- Through October 31. Art Sea + Gift Chateau at 50% off storewide. The harbor calendar also lists a storewide markdown sale at Golden Galleon.
- Through October 31. Frisby Cellars' waterfront tastings and Halloween celebration, before November wine club pickup moves inland.
Frisby owner Josh Frisby told Dana Point Times that Dana Point wine club members will keep their current and future benefits at the Rancho Mission Viejo location. That location runs trivia nights, live music and food trucks throughout the year.
November 1: the working harbor stays, in new spots
Starting November 1, a regular harbor day mostly means the same places with new check-in points.
Fishing, whale watching and Catalina. Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching and Catalina Express move into temporary trailers next to the parking structure. Dana Point Harbor Partners said the move keeps trips running "throughout the concurrent phases of construction." Guests on those trips park on the third level of the structure.
Parking. The 984-space structure stays open with four hours free. Boater permit parking and pedestrian access to the docks and boardwalk continue. Day boaters use the Embarcadero Place lot, which connects directly to the public launch ramp.
The water's edge. Baby Beach, the boardwalk, the Dana Point Fishing Pier, the Embarcadero, the launch ramp, the fuel dock and the bait barge are all expected to stay open during construction, The Log reported in August. Capt. Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari, the Ocean Institute, Pure Watersports, Dana Point Yacht Club, Dana West Yacht Club and Aventura Sailing Association keep operating too.
Wednesday mornings. The Certified Farmers Market still runs every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., now on the surface lot next to the parking structure.
Slips. The marina side is close to finished. Marina Phase 12 started June 1 and opened for occupancy September 14. Phase 13 is set to begin this fall, and the 15-phase dock replacement is now more than four-fifths complete. The marina is scheduled for completion by the end of 2027. OC Parks lists the west breakwater repair as scheduled to wrap up in fall 2026.
Holiday traditions keep their dates. The 49th Annual Dana Point Turkey Trot runs at the harbor on November 26 from 7 to 11 a.m. The 51st Annual Boat Parade of Lights is December 11, 12 and 13, with Dana Wharf viewing cruises at 6:30 p.m. each night.
What the new waterfront is supposed to include
Phase 4 will put 20,000 square feet of new structures on the Wharf, with eight new tenants and as many as four returning ones. Plans also call for parkscapes, soft seating, public art and space for community events. The full Commercial Core covers about 120,000 square feet in 12 multi-tenant buildings. The first two phases, finished in 2025, delivered the parking structure, upgraded utilities and the wider Harbor Way entrance. The old Mariners Village site is planned for a food hall called The Boathouse, according to Dana Point Times.
The schedule explains why the gap will feel so long. The new storefronts won't open building by building. The partnership said, "The entire project is planned to complete concurrently, with new storefront openings scheduled ahead of the LA28 Summer Olympics."
The hotels are less certain. Dana House and Surf Lodge are still proposals. In August, county supervisors deadlocked on the new 66-year ground leases needed to finance them, the OC Register reported. The existing Dana Point Marina Inn is open and takes reservations through December 2026.
Dana Point sellers who list over the next eighteen months will be describing a harbor in the middle of a rebuild. At Tina Tan Group, we track the Wharf timeline so your listing story reflects the harbor buyers will actually walk into. Request Your Home Valuation, and we'll show you how the waterfront's next chapter fits into your home's.
