Plans Approved For Prime Spot At Rancho California, Ynez Roads

TEMECULA, CA — With only one member of the public voicing opposition, the long-vacant Claim Jumper Restaurant & Saloon across from Temecula Duck Pond will be torn down. In its place, two buildings will be constructed — one to house an Ono Hawaiian BBQ eatery and the other a Better Buzz Coffee Roasters.

During Wednesday night's Temecula Planning Commission meeting, commissioners voted 4-0 to approve a resolution for the project at 29540 Rancho California Road in the Temecula Town Center strip mall.

The approval paves the way for the applicant to obtain a permit to demolish the 11,200-square-foot Claim Jumper that closed in 2018. The resolution also green-lights development plans and conditional use permits for the 2,839-square-foot Ono Hawaiian BBQ and 1,719-square-foot Better Buzz on the 1.6-acre lot at the northeast corner of Rancho California and Ynez roads.

The project will feature drive-thru lanes for each of the businesses, with vehicles queuing on the property.

The site currently features 78 parking spaces, though a Better Buzz representative estimated that roughly 60 percent of his customers will likely opt for drive-thru.

While no new driveways are planned off Rancho California or Ynez roads, a pedestrian ramp from Rancho California Road to the project site will be incorporated to meet an Americans with Disabilities Act requirement.

One member of the public submitted a letter of opposition to the project, arguing that a more upscale project would be better suited to the high-visibility location. No other members of the public weighed in.

Better Buzz is a coffee shop featuring brews made from organic beans. The San Diego-based company has a Temecula location at 32435 Temecula Parkway.

Diamond Bar-headquartered Ono Hawaiian BBQ is a fast-casual restaurant that touts island dishes. The eatery has several Riverside County locations, though none are currently in Temecula. The company is set to open a location along Clinton Keith Road and Interstate 215 — a first Ono for Murrieta.

During Wednesday's meeting, Commissioner Lanae Turley-Trejo was absent.