"I was the first restaurant, and here I am the last restaurant," Wind & Sea founder Mardian told Dana Point Times before his restaurant's final service on Sept. 15. He signed the lease in 1971 at age 24 and opened on Aug. 22, 1972. When it closed, Wind & Sea was the last of the harbor's original restaurants still operating. By the reported count, the bar had served about 3.5 million mai tais.
Building 1 closed first because it needs extensive construction. The rest of the Wharf, Buildings 2 through 5, has its last business day on Oct. 31, 2026. Dana Point Harbor Partners has scheduled Phase 4 of the Commercial Core rebuild to start this fall. The Wharf closes to the public on Nov. 1.
The Plan Has Room for Up to Four Returning Tenants
Phase 4 calls for about 20,000 square feet of new waterfront space, eight new tenants, up to four returning tenants, public gathering areas and new public art. That's from the Dana Point Harbor Partners press release.
Five businesses are in talks about coming back to the finished project: Art Sea Gift Chateau, Golden Galleon, Turk's, Frisby Cellars and Wind & Sea. Some of them are also looking at temporary locations. Wind & Sea's path may not run through the Wharf. Mardian said the partners offered him space on the second floor of the Boathouse, a food hall planned for the former Mariner's Village. He also said renderings he saw show a three-story restaurant on the old Wind & Sea site. No agreement has been finalized.
If Wind & Sea takes the Boathouse offer, four businesses are in talks for up to four Wharf spots. Eight more storefronts are planned for tenants not yet named. As of its current Commercial Core FAQ, the developer hasn't announced any new restaurant or shop tenants.
So the version of the Wharf that's open this month won't come back as a set. The new Wharf is planned as mostly new, and the existing group has its last weekend together on Oct. 31.
Who Closes on Oct. 31, and What Each Has Said
| Business | On the harbor since | What has been said publicly |
|---|---|---|
| Turk's | 1984 | Serving daily through Oct. 31. Plans to return after construction and is looking at local options in the meantime. |
| Proud Mary's | 1977 | Owner Steve Zdrakas may reopen elsewhere if he finds an existing restaurant space. No plan yet. |
| Golden Galleon Boutique | 1979 | Looking for a temporary local storefront. Plans to return to the rebuilt harbor. |
| Frisby Cellars | 2018 | In active lease talks with no signed lease. Wine club moves to Rancho Mission Viejo. |
| Coco Bloom Coffee | Not reported | Moving to 1500 Balboa Boulevard in Newport Beach, slated to open "this winter." |
| Top Brass | Not reported | Expected to close Oct. 31. |
| Vintage Yacht Club | Not reported | Exploring relocation options. |
| Art Sea Gift Chateau | Not reported | In return discussions. |
Turk's owner Candy Varteresian made the most direct request: "Please come down and celebrate the many memories we have shared on the water. Our team will be pouring and serving daily through Oct. 31 on the Wharf." At Proud Mary's, Zdrakas described a breakfast-and-lunch room where "customers know customers." He said people have gotten engaged there and held retirement parties and celebrations of life there.
Frisby Cellars has the only farewell event on the official calendar. "The Last Boorah" runs Saturday, Oct. 31, from 5 to 9 p.m., with a live DJ, a costume contest, wine, beer and bites. Until then, Frisby is keeping its regular Wags & Wine, Taco Tuesday and Sunday live music, and it offers private and upgraded waterfront tastings. After that, Dana Point wine club members keep their benefits at Frisby's 6,000-square-foot Rancho Mission Viejo location, about nine miles from the harbor.
Starting Nov. 1, Harbor Errands Start at 799 Harbor Way
The Wharf's oldest business is the one that stays open. Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching and Catalina Express are moving into temporary trailers next to the Dana Point Harbor parking structure. Whale watching, fishing trips, ferry service and private charters continue without a break. Co-owner Donna Kalez expects to run from the trailers for about 15 months and said that could change. Her father, Don Hansen, started the business from a trailer in 1971, while the original harbor was still being built.
The trailers sit next to the parking structure at 799 Harbor Way. Parking there is free for the first four hours, then $6 an hour, up to $24 a day. The Wednesday Certified Farmers Market has also moved behind and inside the structure. It runs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a rotating group of vendors.
These stay open through construction:
- On the water: Ocean Institute, Capt. Dave's Dana Point Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari, Pure Watersports, Dana Point Yacht Club, Dana West Yacht Club and Aventura Sailing Association
- Public areas: the boardwalk, Baby Beach, the Dana Point Fishing Pier, the Embarcadero, the launch ramp, the fuel dock and the bait barge
- Across Golden Lantern: Dana Marina Plaza, which the project doesn't affect. Kalez has encouraged harbor visitors to walk over and support the businesses there.
One option for the Proud Mary's breakfast crowd is What a Dish Café & Catering at 24921 Dana Point Harbor Drive. Visit Dana Point describes it as a café known for custom cakes, with a regular crowd. The developer is also running temporary food pop-ups. Culture Pizza Co.'s "Culture on the Coast" serves sourdough-crust pizzas on select Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 7 p.m., starting Oct. 2. The Parlor's smashburger pop-up runs on select Sundays, including Oct. 25, from 1 to 7 p.m. in the Wharf Courtyard.
The Water Calendar Keeps Running
The marina work is ahead of the shops. Marina Phase 12 opened to boaters on Sept. 14, more than four-fifths of the 15-phase marina rebuild is done, and Phase 13 is set to start this fall. Burnham-Ward's Katie Sorensen said harbor events will continue through construction, including the Turkey Trot, the Boat Parade of Lights, the Festival of Whales and Little Folk Club. Here are the published dates through year end:
- Oct. 3, 10 a.m. to noon: Sea Shanty Sail aboard the Spirit of Dana Point, with the pirate band Queen Anne's Blouse.
- Oct. 10, 8:30 to 10:30 p.m.: Ocean Institute Bioluminescence Night Cruise aboard R/V Sea Explorer. The Institute notes that nature decides how much glow shows up on any given night.
- Oct. 31, 5 to 9 p.m.: The Last Boorah at Frisby Cellars, the Wharf's final evening.
- Nov. 12 through Jan. 10, 2027: Harbor holiday lights, including Happy Harbor Days and Merry Kiss Me.
- Nov. 22, 12:30 to 2 p.m.: Sea Shanty Sunday at the Ocean Institute's Maritime Village, included with general admission.
- Nov. 26, 7 to 11 a.m.: The 49th Dana Point Turkey Trot, with a 5K, a 10K, a 15K Combo and a kids' 1-mile Gobble Wobble.
- Dec. 11 to 13, 6:30 p.m. nightly: The 51st Boat Parade of Lights, themed "Harboritaville." On Dec. 11, from 6 to 9 p.m., the Ocean Institute hosts a viewing party with cocoa, cookie decorating and touch tanks.
The next Festival of Whales is March 5 to 7, 2027.
When the New Wharf Is Due
In March 2026, Bryon Ward of Burnham-Ward Properties told the Orange County Register the goal was to finish the commercial work in the fourth quarter of 2027 and open in time for the LA28 Olympics. That's a stated target, not a guaranteed date. He described the plan as rooftop bars, the Boathouse for grab-and-go food and drinks, and five new buildings on the Wharf. With the Phase 3 buildings, that makes 12 multi-tenant retail buildings across the core. The new foundations are being raised 3.5 feet.
Kalez's estimate of about 15 months in the trailers would run from November 2026 to around early 2028. The current Wharf businesses serve their last customers on Oct. 31, and Dana Wharf's trips continue from the trailers after the Wharf closes on Nov. 1.
For homeowners thinking about how a rebuilt harbor and a 2027–2028 reopening fit into longer plans for a Dana Point property, Michael Balliet offers discreet, finance-informed advice built on close attention to the harbor's progress. Request Private Client Access to start the conversation.
