In a bizarre food twist for one of Orange County’s best-known restaurateurs, Leonard Chan announced plans this week to scrap food service at Iron Press at South Coast Collection.

The restaurant, known for its savory and sweet waffle sandwiches, opened more than 5 years ago at the hipster retail center in Costa Mesa. It differentiated itself from rival Bruxie by offering local craft beers on tap.

Leonard Chan, co-founder of The Iron Press in Costa Mesa, said the restaurant will be open only for beer and wine sales. LEONARD ORTIZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Leonard Chan, co-founder of The Iron Press in Costa Mesa, said the restaurant will be open only for beer and wine sales. LEONARD ORTIZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Iron Press was known for bringing craft beer to the waffle sandwich craze.

Leonard Chan is co-founder of The Iron Press in Costa Mesa.



But in a message on Facebook, Chan said the restaurant will be open for limited evening hours as he and his investors focus on food concepts opening next year in Los Angeles.

“As we prepare ourselves for this, we will only be focusing on our yummy craft beer (and wine) service beginning at 4 p.m. ’til close every day,” Chan wrote. “We are truly sorry for any inconvenience this may cause anyone, but our full menu is still available over at our Packing House location in Anaheim. In the meantime, keep an eye out for our updates to DTLA and Costa Mesa. We hope to see you thirsty soon!”

Reached by phone late Tuesday, Chan said he and his investors are rethinking the menu at Iron Press.

“We need time to regroup,” he said. In another week, he said he’ll debut a few small bites dishes.

He said he’s shifting some employees, including kitchen staff, to Los Angeles where he is developing four new restaurants at a “culinary collective” in Chinatown.

The Apiary food hall is part of the Jia apartment building in downtown Los Angeles.When it opens in mid-spring, four of the 10 food concepts will be from Chan and his investment partners. He plans to open a brewery, a bar, a tiki-themed restaurant and another Iron Press — likely with a different menu.

Chan also operates Shuck Oyster Bar at SoCo. Elsewhere in Orange County, he runs concepts including Cal Shabu in Costa Mesa, The Hatch in Tustin and three restaurants at the Anaheim Packing House — The Iron Press, The Blind Rabbit and Rolling Boil. He also is one of the developers behind McFadden Public Market, a newly opened food hall and arcade bar in Santa Ana.

The news comes a week after the Register reported a restaurant shakeup at SoCo.

Bistro Papillote, a French restaurant by Chef Laurent Brazier, is closing at the end of the month. Brazier said he couldn’t afford to make the necessary kitchen improvements to keep the eatery open. He also said foot traffic had grown increasingly slow at the mall, especially during the evening.

Restaurant Marin also closed at the center, citing low turnout at dinner. The owners, Chef Noah von Blöm and his wife Marín, rebranded the restaurant as a pizza joint and connected it to their popular wood-fired dining concept, Arc. The von Blöms plan to relocate a tweaked version of the breakfast diner to Arc Butcher & Baker in Newport Beach.

SoCo owners declined to comment.