The Dive Oyster Bar, a Temple City restaurant featuring Southern comfort food inspired by Creole and Cajun cooking, is opening not one, not two, but three new California locations this year and next.
Co-Founders Johnny Nguyen and Jay Tran, and the newly-formed Tru Hospitality Group, later this year (as early as November or December), will debut a location of The Dive Oyster Bar in San Jose, CA.
Here in Orange County, the dynamic duo and their partners at Tru are in permitting to bring an outpost of the soon-to-be four-location-eatery to Irvine and Yorba Linda.
First up will be the Irvine outpost, at 670 Spectrum Center Dr., in Irvine Spectrum, which is slated to open in early 2024, Nguyen told What Now Orange County in a telephone interview Friday.
Yorba Linda, a “special” location given its size, will open shortly after, at 2047 Yorba Linda Blvd F6-7, according to Nguyen.
“We’re excited to get open as soon as possible but it is going to depend on the City and how fast we can work together,” Nguyen said.
The Yorba Linda location will closest resemble The Dive’s original Temple City outpost — which opened in late 2018 — because of its expansive space which has been gutted and is ready for construction as soon as permits are approved by the City.
“By the time Yorba Linda location opens, it will be our fourth,” Nguyen said. “This location is special because we have a bigger space there so we’re going to be able to do a lot of things like live shucking of the oysters and a full cocktail menu and bar.”
For Nguyen, The Dive is more than good eating — it’s about the experience from the time you walk in the door.
“We have put an emphasis on the dining experience,” Nguyen said. “It’s more than just food. It’s from the time you walk through the door to the time you sit down. It’s taking in the space, being able to see the food being prepared and your cocktails shaken. In our new locations, we’ll recreate what has made us successful in Temple city.”
