Cafe table to backyard farm: Roger’s Gardens wants to add 108-seat restaurant

Shoppers looking to add plants and other colorful items from Roger’s Gardens to their outdoor spread may soon be able to dine at the Newport Beach home and garden store as well as shop.

The city zoning administrator on Thursday will consider Roger’s Gardens’ request to build and operate an open-air cafe on the property, at 2301 San Joaquin Hills Road in Corona del Mar.

Roger’s Gardens is proposing a 108-seat, full-service restaurant near the rear parking lot. The store also hopes to serve wine, beer and liquor at the cafe, according to a city staff report.

It would be a place “where one can sip a cup of tea, have a healthy meal or enjoy a glass of wine while envisioning how one’s own backyard can be converted into a garden paradise,” the store’s request states.

If approved, the restaurant would be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

City staff recommends approving the necessary permit, according to the report.

Thursday’s public hearing will begin at 3:30 p.m. at City Hall, 100 Civic Center Drive.