English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in Costa Mesa, CA

Major grocery and retail drug stores in Costa Mesa will be required to heavily regulate self-checkout under a new law that city leaders say will combat retail theft and protect jobs.

The City Council adopted an ordinance this week that will bring sweeping changes to retail operations’ self-checkout lanes: requiring one employee to oversee every three checkout stations, capping self-checkout transactions at 15 items and barring the purchase of any item kept in a locked case.

In approving the new rules, Costa Mesa became just the second city in the state to regulate self-checkout lanes, roughly half a year after Long Beach passed its first-of-its-kind legislation.

Costa Mesa’s measure, which diverges from Long Beach’s model in just a few ways, is expected to affect nearly two dozen retail establishments in town — the threshold is more than 15,000 square feet of space.

Violations of the rules could prompt fines of $100 for each incident, capped at $1,000 per day.

“Costa Mesa has a proud history of championing pro-worker and public safety initiatives, and by passing this ordinance, Costa Mesa will provide thousands of workers – union and non-union – with extra support and better service for customers,” Jose Perez, president of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 324 shared in a statement following the law’s passage. “UFCW members look forward to seeing additional cities in Orange County pass legislation like this to ensure quality jobs and safe, positive shopping experiences.”

A heated discussion over the self-checkout ordinance proposal lasted more than two hours at a January council meeting, with more than two dozen people arguing in favor and against the proposal. Grocery store workers spoke in support of the law, which they said would address the pressure of being overworked and bearing the brunt of customer frustration. Store managers and trade group representatives, meanwhile, argued that the regulations were an overreach of local government authority that would not meaningfully curb retail theft.

In response to public feedback, the City Council made several changes to the proposed ordinance: businesses are given 60 days to comply with the mandates and the right to cure — the timeframe for correcting an issue — has been extended from seven to 15 days.

City staff will report back to the council within a year on the law’s implementation, officials said.

The final measure passed in a 5-2 vote on Tuesday, Feb. 17, with Councilmembers Jeff Pettis and Mike Buley opposed.

Pettis said he had spoken with a handful of Long Beach grocery store owners in recent weeks, 90% of whom reportedly hated the self-checkout law. Two large supermarkets he visited closed some kiosks to avoid having to hire more workers, Pettis said. Some Costa Mesa shoppers, he said, told him they’d switch to shopping at the Ralph’s in Westcliff for a less cumbersome retail experience.

“I’m very concerned about migration of our sales tax dollars to other cities and I am about free market capitalism and regulating business,” he said.

Mayor John Stephens, who acknowledged his colleagues’ concerns, said the city has implemented a few “fail-safes,” including the one-year review, should the measure become too onerous on residents. He also urged residents to report back if they’re being negatively impacted by the new regulations.

Councilmember Loren Gameros said the ordinance will protect people from working-class families who are overworked at grocery stores.

“I wonder how many of those who speak against this ordinance this evening actually has to sling groceries for 8 hours to feed their family to make ends meet,” he said. “I wonder how many people have to run back and forth to a liquor cabinet while they’re watching three, four, five, six registers at the same time, stooping, bending, rushing.”

Air Water Car Show is coming back to Costa Mesa for 2026.

Set at the OC Fair & Event Center, this show centers on Porsche, bringing the marque’s full spectrum into one place, from early classics and air-cooled icons to modern water-cooled cars and newer performance builds. If you like walking lines of cars and catching the details up close, paint, fitment, wheels, interior touches, period-correct finishes, this one’s built for that.

Organized by Air|Water, the event leans into the bigger Porsche story: roots in Germany, years of evolution, and a scene that’s been shaped by owners, builders, racers, and collectors across generations. The organizers position it as Southern California’s largest gathering of the marque, which usually means wide variety and plenty of “haven’t seen that in a while” moments.

Expect a steady, photo-friendly pace: lots of time to compare generations side by side, talk shop with other Porsche people, and learn what’s factory, what’s upgraded, and what’s a personal signature choice. It’s the kind of show where small details matter, badges, trim, engine bay presentation, and the way different eras of design sit next to each other.

So if you’re itching for a proper Porsche-heavy day, good cars, good conversations, and a solid walk through the marque’s past and present, Air|Water in Costa Mesa belongs on your list.

Air Water Car Show - Orange County, California

Date: Saturday, April 25th, 2026Location: OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Dr, Costa Mesa, CA 92626Starts: 10:00 AMEnds: 3:00 PMAdmission: FreeVehicle Registration: HERE

*Please note: iDriveSoCal is not hosting this car show. To learn more contact Air Water Car Show organizers HERE. Including details about attending and displaying your car. Also about becoming a car meet vendor or sponsor.

Additionally, for more of the best Southern California automotive events click HERE.

And, ever wonder how cars and coffee events got started? Check out this podcast on !

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Peet’s Coffee recently closed a handful of stores in Orange and Los Angeles counties as part of a broader effort to cut expenses.

The news comes after soft drinks giant Keurig Dr Pepper announced it was buying JDE Peet’s, the European parent company of Emeryville-based Peet’s Coffee, for $18 billion. The deal is expected to close by June.

In Orange County, Peet’s Coffee locations on El Toro Road in Lake Forest, E. 17th Street in Costa Mesa, and Avenida Talega in San Clemente, closed at the end of January, according to several workers who declined to be identified and Yelp reports on the locations.

Stores also closed Jan. 30 in the South Bay communities of Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach.

In a statement emailed to the Southern California News Group, a Peet’s spokesperson declined to say how many stores would be closed in Southern California. The spokesperson did state that the chain made a “difficult decision” to close a number of Peet’s Coffee locations by the end of January but declined to elaborate.

“These closures reflect a broader effort to align our business with long-term growth priorities and current market conditions,” the spokesperson said. “We are deeply grateful to our incredible employees and loyal customers for their continued commitment to the brand. As we move forward, we remain dedicated to the quality, craftsmanship, and heritage that have defined Peet’s for the past 60 years, while embracing new opportunities to innovate and grow.”

In December, roasted coffee sold in stores cost about 33.6% more than it did a year earlier, rising to an average $9.053 per pound from $6.776 per pound, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Along with coffee bean supply shortages, widespread import tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on top coffee producers in Brazil and Vietnam were to blame for the price increases.

Over a week ago, unionized workers at one of the chain’s Northern California locations wrote on Instagram that Peet’s Coffee closed 27, or 9.5%, of its 283 locations nationwide after Keurig Dr. Pepper launched its all-cash takeover of JDE.

As of Feb. 3, 2026. Peet’s reported 256 stores nationwide, including 166 in Northern California and 36 in Southern California. Peet’s spokesperson declined to specify how many were company-owned or franchised locations. In 2024, Peet’s said that it had 199 company-owned locations, with 168 in California.

Peet’s was founded by Dutch immigrant Alfred Peet, a German labor-camp survivor whose family ran a coffee-roasting business. The first location opened in Berkeley in 1966, with Peet’s eventually going public in 2001. It later went private in 2012 and again went public on the Euronext Amsterdam stock exchange in 2020.