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West Harbor's First Sit-Down Business Sells Coffee, and That Sets San Pedro's Fall Schedule

The first sit-down retailer to open at West Harbor is a Starbucks. It opened in mid-August, and according to San Pedro Today, customers were lined up at the gate before the doors opened. The rest of the announced roster of restaurants, a brewery and a Ferris wheel is still on the way.

That order of arrival shapes how the waterfront works this fall. The part of the old Ports O' Call site that exists today runs on a morning clock. The evening side of San Pedro still sits downtown, on 6th Street.

Why a Coffee Line Set the Pace

San Pedro Today's August column on the Starbucks opening explains why a coffee shop crossed the finish line first at a 42-acre site that is still under construction. Turn-key building plans helped. So did the app, which is installed on roughly 75 million phones nationwide and put a new pin called "San Pedro Harbor" on the map without any billboard.

The column describes mobile orders placed ahead of time, an hour of free parking, and lattes sipped while cargo ships pass on their way in and out of the Port of Los Angeles. It also reports that early-morning demand exceeded expectations and that hours are being extended for the fishing boats heading out to sea. The crowd it describes is fishermen, the cruise crowd, dog walkers on the new promenade and locals seeing West Harbor for the first time.

Every person on that list is there for a reason that has nothing to do with dinner. The site's first working business serves people who arrive early, and the calendar of what is open follows from that.

What Is Open, by the Hour

West Harbor's own site says the waterfront promenade now runs from Berth 84 Park to Berth 77 Park. It names the pieces that are open: Starbucks, San Pedro Fish Market, Harbor Concessions, Harbor Breeze Cruises, Wheel Fun Rentals and the Los Angeles Maritime Institute's tall ships. Sorted by time of day, the picture looks like this.

When Where What is confirmed
Early morning Promenade, Berth 84 Park to Berth 77 Park, plus Starbucks A visitor guide lists the site as open daily from 5 a.m. Starbucks runs 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
Weekend daytime Wheel Fun Rentals Surrey bikes and other rentals, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, from 10 a.m. to sunset.
Friday through Monday Harbor Breeze Cruises Harbor cruises and whale watching.
Monthly, year-round Los Angeles Maritime Institute Sunset Sails aboard the tall ships, plus youth programs.
Lunch and dinner at the water San Pedro Fish Market's New Landing, 706 S. Harbor Blvd At its October 2025 opening announcement, the market listed 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends.

Fish Market hours can change, so check them before making the drive. The Landing is temporary. The market signed a 49-year lease for a permanent spot inside West Harbor, and the expanded space is still to come.

The table lists no other restaurants, and the developer's own site says new restaurants and entertainment will arrive "in the months ahead."

The Evening Side Is Still Downtown

Thursday evening is where San Pedro's schedule is already full. This Thursday, October 1, is the first Thursday of the month. Discover San Pedro describes the night as gallery openings, live music, pop-up shops and food vendors downtown. The First Thursday ArtWalk covers the blocks between Pacific Avenue, Harbor Boulevard, 4th Street and 9th Street, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The organizers note that metered street parking is free after 6 p.m.

The Downtown San Pedro Night Market shares the evening. The First Thursday site lists it at 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., and Discover San Pedro describes local food vendors, live music, shopping and family-friendly activities. A regional events listing puts it at 300 W. 6th Street. The next one after this week is Thursday, November 5.

Discover San Pedro's calendar also has the 15th Annual Día de los Muertos Festival on Sunday, October 25. The organization calls it a free, family-friendly celebration.

Read together, the fall splits into two shifts. Mornings and weekend afternoons are on the water. Thursday nights and the Día de los Muertos Sunday are downtown. A day that starts with coffee beside the Port and ends at the Night Market on 6th Street uses each side of town for what it currently does best.

What Is Still on Paper

The list of who is coming is long and specific, and none of it should be treated as open until the doors are. A December 2025 announcement from West Harbor added several concepts to a slate that already included the Fish Market, a Yamashiro satellite, the immersive art space Hopscotch and The Baked Bear.

  • Mike Hess Brewing. The San Diego brewery is making its Los Angeles debut, with a large beer garden overlooking the harbor and a new distilling arm.
  • Tacos El Franc. This Tijuana taqueria has been recognized by the Michelin Guide and featured on Netflix's Taco Chronicles. It is known for handmade tortillas and fillings such as adobada, suadero and lengua.
  • Glass Box. The concept comes from San Diego and serves Japanese, Korean and Chinese flavors inside a glass structure with an open kitchen.
  • Paraná Empanadas and LoZio Pizza. Both join the food hall called the Food Collective. LoZio Pizza and The Baked Bear were among the tastes on offer when West Harbor hosted the World Cup Fan Zone in July.
  • Yamashiro. The Hollywood Hills restaurant is opening its first satellite location here.

Then there is the entertainment layer. The 6,200-seat amphitheater, developed with Nederlander Concerts, debuted in July as the home of the Los Angeles FIFA World Cup 26 Fan Zone. The 175-foot observation wheel that West Harbor says will be California's tallest, along with pickleball and padel courts and a members-only dog park, has been announced but not confirmed as open.

The City of Los Angeles said in July that the site's official opening was expected this fall. No firm date turned up in the reporting, so the "grand opening" is still an open calendar item. During the World Cup week, Jerico Development's Eric Johnson told Spectrum News that West Harbor is expected to draw on the order of 4 to 5 million people a year.

Parking Is the Open Question

The most immediate practical issue is parking. A visitor guide published about four weeks ago lists the West Harbor Lot at 1332 S. Harbor Blvd as free for the first hour, then $2.50 per hour with a $25 daily cap. It lists the Berth 84 Premium Lot at $10 on weekdays and $15 on weekends. Those figures come from a single secondary source, so confirm them at the gate.

San Pedro Today's columnist takes a side in the debate. The column explains that West Harbor's lease puts the security and maintenance of its lots on West Harbor rather than the Port. It says the Port is investing in parking that will trolley people in for free. It adds that West Harbor is exploring reduced rates and local incentives, with details to be announced shortly. Nothing about rates for locals has been published yet.

For now, the free first hour explains the coffee line. A quick latte and a look at the ships fits inside that hour, and a long dinner does not.

The fall plan is short. The waterfront covers the early hours, the Fish Market deck covers dinner over the water, and the Night Market and the October 25 festival cover the downtown evenings. Restaurant openings and local parking rates are both still to be announced.

If the waterfront's arrival has you curious about what your San Pedro home is worth today, The Elmer Team can get you an instant home valuation.

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