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RJB Restaurant Group Expands Parlor and Olea Footprints

06.14.25

Orange County restaurateur Russ Bendel continues to grow his collection of popular dining destinations, recently expanding two of his standout restaurants: Parlor Woodfire Kitchen & Cocktails in San Clemente and Olea, Cellar. Craft. Cook in Newport Beach. Each gained more than 1,200 square feet of new space, the result of creative thinking and impeccable timing.

Parlor’s Lower Level

When Parlor opened in San Clemente last July, the building’s underused lower level served only as storage. But as the restaurant quickly gained a loyal following—and increasing demand for more bar and private dining space—Bendel and his team saw an opportunity to transform the downstairs into a vibrant new area.

Now called the Lower Level, the space features two distinct rooms: El Camino Lounge, a cozy private space with an eight-seat bar and vintage décor, and Mae Mae’s Den, a 14-seat private dining room. The Lower Level offers complimentary arcade games, darts, a billiards table, and multiple large-screen TVs. Mae Mae’s Den also features a custom table cover that allows guests to enjoy a meal before converting the space back into a game room. Since opening in mid-May, the Lower Level has been a popular venue for private events and helps accommodate weekend overflow.

Olea 2.0

Bendel’s Olea, a Newport Beach favorite for seven years, has also seen an expansion driven by customer demand. Frequent requests for private dining and weekend wait times made it clear that additional space was needed. When a neighboring retail space became available, Bendel took action.

The newly added 1,200-square-foot space seats 54 for dining and 65 for cocktails and blends seamlessly with the existing restaurant. A motorized screen can close off the area for private events, and a baby grand piano provides either live music or automated background entertainment.

At the heart of the addition is the Mariner’s Room, an intimate private dining room that accommodates up to 16 guests and features its own restroom. A 65-inch flat screen offers an elegant solution for business presentations or entertainment, doubling as wall art when not in use.

With these two expansions, RJB Restaurant Group continues to deliver new experiences for its loyal guests, proving once again that opportunity favors those who are ready to innovate.

Parlor, Woodfire Kitchen & Cocktails is at 216 N El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.503.1509.

Olea is at 2001 Westcliff Dr Suite 100, Newport Beach. 949.287.6807

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Jan’s Health Bar Expands to San Diego, Introduces New Smoothies and Summer Menu Favorites

06.14.25

Jan’s Health Bar, the iconic fast-casual concept with more than 50 years of history in Southern California, is celebrating a milestone year of growth and innovation.

Owner Poppy Holguin—who first started working at Jan’s as a teenager and purchased the flagship location in 2010—has spent the past 15 years thoughtfully expanding the brand while staying true to its founding mission from 1972: making healthy food both enjoyable and approachable.

Today, Jan’s operates seven locations across Southern California, including a recently opened store in Long Beach. This week, the brand enters the San Diego market for the first time with its newest location at One Paseo in Del Mar.

Jan’s continues to nourish a loyal following with fresh, whole-ingredient meals rooted in clarity, flavor and feel-good nutrition.

This month, Jan’s introduces a new series of smoothies packed with wellness-boosting ingredients such as colostrum, pasture-fed collagen protein, CoQ10, creatine, essential electrolytes, plant-based protein and adaptogens. Designed to energize and support a balanced lifestyle, the new lineup reflects Jan’s continued evolution with wellness-forward offerings.

Leading the rollout is The Poppy Smoothie, a new menu item named after Holguin in celebration of her 15th year as owner. The Poppy Smoothie features raw peanut butter with a signature peanut butter swirl, fresh berries, pasture-fed collagen protein and Jan’s vegan vanilla protein with CoQ10. With 47 grams of protein and a flavor reminiscent of a nostalgic PB&J, it’s a tribute to the woman behind the brand’s modern growth.

Other new functional smoothie additions include:

• Power Mocha: Coffee, maca adaptogenic powder, chocolate protein with ashwagandha, lightly toasted almond butter, cacao nibs, banana, dates and almond milk
• Blue Power: Blueberries, blackberries, vanilla protein with CoQ10, creatine, essential electrolytes, banana and almond milk
• Hippy: Kale, spinach, hemp protein with omega-3 and omega-6, colostrum, raw peanut (or lightly toasted almond) butter, banana and 100% pure coconut water

Jan’s also introduced its own line of vegan protein powders, available in vanilla and cacao, along with a Crunchy Quinoa Topping, giving fans the option to recreate their favorite Jan’s smoothies and meals at home.

Back on the menu for summer is the guest-favorite Summer Salad, featuring mixed greens topped with fresh avocado, creamy feta, glazed walnuts, crisp apples, shredded carrots and mixed berries, served with house-made raspberry vinaigrette.

Since 1972, Jan’s Health Bar has remained dedicated to its original mission of making healthy food approachable and enjoyable. In a world of ever-changing diets and trends, Jan’s continues to offer a thoughtful menu of sandwiches, salads and smoothies designed to support a balanced lifestyle.

For more information, visit janshealthbar.com.

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