A charming dining venue will open on the grounds of River Street Ranch petting zoo in San Juan Capistrano, according to 926 OC. Plans for The Cottage, to be built at the 31791 Los Rios Street property, were just reviewed by the city this past week.
It will be a 980-square-foot building with a 345-square-foot porch and 636-square-foot outdoor dining area, records show. It will be designed in a classic 1890s-inspired architectural style and built on a 3,400-square-foot vacant parcel located between Hidden House Coffee and the perimeter of River Street Ranch.
A spokesperson told What Now OC, “The team doesn’t have much to share yet as it’s still very much in the preliminary planning stages and all still pending review and approval by city officials.”
The new eatery will feature wood-fired pizzas, small plates, sandwiches, and salads, plus beer and wine available. It will be open for farm guests and also the general public, from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM seven days a week, and have an occupancy limit of 42 persons.
River Street Ranch, formerly known as Zoomars, offers a wide range of attractions, including pony rides, train rides, mini tractors, petting zoo pens, feed baskets, mining and digging zones, mini excavators, and a playground. The venue hosts field trips, birthday parties, a farm school, and day camp, and sees over 150,00 visitors per year, according to the owner, Almquist.
