"So in a way, it's reverting back to how it was originally configured." Hermosa Beach associate planner DeDe Tran said that at the July 28 City Council meeting, while describing plans for the former Bank of America building at the southwest corner of Pier and Hermosa avenues.
She was talking about one building. The same sentence fits most of what is new on Pier Avenue this fall. The wine bar that opened this summer is in a former bistro. The tavern announced for the bottom of the street is in a former oyster bar. October's most unusual event is a prom in a gym that has stood on Pier Avenue long enough to appear in a 1976 horror film. None of this fall's changes on Pier Avenue involves a new building. Each one gives an old room a new tenant or a new use.
The Bank Built for Four Tenants
The building at Pier and Hermosa dates to 1922. It was built by E.J. Young, president and founder of the National Bank of Hermosa. It covers 5,069 square feet, and according to Tran it was a multi-tenant building with four tenants when it opened.
Bank of America occupied it for nine decades before leaving in February 2024. Jaden Theodora bought the property in April 2025. The approved plan splits the building into four tenant spaces again. It redesigns the façade with new and modified storefront openings and removes the mezzanine level. The staff report states the goal as "a more vibrant, welcoming, and functional destination for residents and visitors."
The building's age is the reason the approval took two separate actions. The council unanimously approved a certificate of appropriateness and a precise development plan, both required because the structure could have been a potential historic landmark. Tran explained that it is not considered a landmark because of the many renovations over the decades. "Although those four walls have stayed as they were originally constructed," she said, "the look of the building has changed significantly."
Here is where the project stood in the Daily Breeze's July 29 report:
- Approved: City Council, July 28, unanimous
- Next step: California Coastal Commission review
- Tenants named: none
- Construction or opening timeline: none given
One small change on that intersection has already happened. The City reported in late September that it installed seven new bike racks at the northeast corner of Hermosa and Pier, next to Los Angeles Ale Works.
Familiar Addresses, New Kitchens
The bank pattern repeats on a smaller scale in the restaurant spaces on and near the street.
36 Pier Ave. Malendrina Wine Bar has opened in the former Bonaparte Bistro space. Chuck and Amanda Azar own it. Easy Reader News described a short menu of Palestinian and Sicilian small plates and an extensive wine list. The paper's July 22 issue reported it already open but gave no exact opening date.
19 Pier Ave. Kasamar is the planned tavern for the former Playa Hermosa Fish & Oyster Co. space. WhatNow reported in June that co-founders Stephanie De Los Santos and Christina Montoya plan a coastal seafood and pub-food menu with a full beverage program, and that the opening was expected in August 2026. August has come and gone. As of this writing, Kasamar's own website shows "NOW HIRING" and "HERMOSA BEACH," with no hours, menu, or opening announcement. Hiring usually means a restaurant is getting close, but it doesn't confirm a date. Check before you plan a dinner around it.
1332 Hermosa Ave. Just around the corner from Pier, Kasai Records has taken over from Decadence, which closed after more than a year. The new spot is a DJ listening bar serving yakitori, Asian-fusion dishes, and drinks.
1272 The Strand. At the beach end, Chicas Tacos held its Hermosa grand opening on Aug. 15 at The Deck. The bar is 21 and over, so families order from a kiosk and eat in a dining tent. The menu covers tacos, burritos, bowls, and ceviche.
All four are new concepts moving into spaces that were already built and already serving food or drinks. Short of a full new build, a downtown business district doesn't turn over much faster than this. It also means the street's layout, its storefront widths, and the walk between them stay the same while the menus change.
The Gym at the Top of the Hill
At the east end of the corridor, the Hermosa Beach Community Center at 710 Pier Avenue is getting the most literal reuse of the season.
On Friday, Oct. 9, the City of Hermosa Beach and MHP Haunt are hosting "Carrie & the Prom" in the gym where Brian De Palma's Carrie was filmed. The City's listing promises a retro prom and a big-screen screening, styled after 1976. Here's how the evening runs:
- 7 p.m. Doors open. South Bay Music Connection presents a live band, and Leadership Hermosa Beach runs the food and drink concessions.
- During the prom. A self-guided tour of the filming locations, immersive experiences, and what the City calls "prom-night surprises we're keeping under wraps."
- 9 p.m. The film screens in the Hermosa Beach Community Theatre. It is rated R and runs 1 hour 28 minutes.
Tickets are $10 and limited. Costumes are encouraged, and the listing suggests "feathered hair, velvet suits, floor length polyester." The event ends at 10:30 p.m.
The next morning, the same building takes on a much more practical job. The City and Athens Services are offering free paper shredding and a compost giveaway at the Community Center on Saturday, Oct. 10, from 8 a.m. to noon. In one 24-hour stretch, the room goes from a film-history prom to a drop-off point for old tax files.
The reuse pattern reaches past Pier Avenue. The renovated Kelly Courts at Clark Field, 861 Valley Drive, reopened Oct. 1, pickleball and tennis courts included. Over Labor Day weekend, Fiesta Hermosa returned after a four-year absence on its familiar route. It ran along Hermosa Avenue from 10th to 13th streets and east on Pier Avenue to Palm Drive. The City also finished a citywide slurry-seal project in September, resurfacing 1.8 miles of roadway and adding new striping. Every one of these projects restored something already in place.
October, From the Community Center Down to the Sand
Most of the month's calendar follows the same street, from the Community Center down to the Strand.
| Date | Event | Where | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 1–31 | Nightmare at Molloy's | Patrick Molloy's | 5 p.m. to close |
| Fri., Oct. 9 | Carrie & the Prom | Community Center, 710 Pier Ave | 7–10:30 p.m. |
| Oct. 9, 16, 23, 30 | The Forgotten Circus | Not Shockboxx, 636 Cypress Ave | Fridays |
| Sat., Oct. 10 | Shredding and compost giveaway | Community Center, 710 Pier Ave | 8 a.m.–noon |
| Sat., Oct. 10 | Walk to End Alzheimer's 5K | Pier Plaza and the Strand north of the Pier | 9 a.m.–noon |
| Sat., Oct. 10 | Pumpkins in the Park | Edith Rodaway Friendship Park, 350 Prospect Ave | 11 a.m.–1 p.m. |
| Sun., Oct. 18 | Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk | Manhattan Beach Pier to Hermosa Beach Pier | 9–11:30 a.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | Nike After Dark Tour LA half marathon | Listed on the City calendar | 5–10 p.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | Not Shockboxx Halloween party | 636 Cypress Ave | See venue |
Oct. 10 is the busiest day, with three events between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Two of them sit at opposite ends of the corridor, the shredding at the Community Center and the 5K on Pier Plaza, and Pumpkins in the Park is at Edith Rodaway Friendship Park. Patrick Molloy's is running Halloween decor, themed cocktails, and costume events every night of the month starting at 5 p.m. Not Shockboxx runs The Forgotten Circus on October Fridays and says it will make a final appearance at a separate Halloween party on Oct. 31. The City's own October calendar shows no City-run Halloween celebration on the 31st. That night's listing is an AAU volleyball event.
Event pages like these change without notice. Check times and ticket availability with each organizer before you go.
The four-tenant plan for Pier and Hermosa still has to clear the Coastal Commission. Owners on nearby blocks will want to know how projects like it move from a council vote to new storefronts. Dennis Hartley follows these approvals block by block and is glad to walk through what they could mean for your street. Let's connect and schedule a consultation.
