Belmont Shore's 2nd Street Is Filling Its Empty Storefronts With Names That Have Already Lasted

"They've been a Balboa Island tradition for over 80 years, and now they're bringing that history to 2nd Street." Heather Kern, who heads the Belmont Shore Business Association, said that to Longbeachize about Sugar 'N Spice, the frozen-banana shop that plans to open at 5269 E. 2nd St.

The quote describes more than one shop. Look at who is moving into the empty spaces on and near 2nd Street this fall, and most of them have something in common. Each one brings a name that has already lasted somewhere else, or one that used to be here. They are filling spaces on a strip where at least one newer concept lasted less than two years.

Four spaces, three of them with a past

Here is where things stand in late October and early November 2026, based on reporting from Longbeachize.

None of the four has a confirmed opening date in this reporting. Every row in that table is a plan.

The space that turned over fastest

The Holey Grail space at 4803 E. 2nd St. shows why so many of these arrivals have long histories. Holey Grail, the Kauai-born taro donut shop, opened its first Long Beach location there in June 2024. In February 2026, Longbeachize reported that it had closed suddenly after a notice about back rent. That is less than two years from opening to closing.

Bacio di Latte is the next tenant. According to Longbeachize's October 16 food roundup, the gelato chain was started in 2011 by Milanese brothers Edoardo and Luigi Tonolli on Rua Oscar Freire in São Paulo, Brazil. They traveled across Italy studying traditional gelato before that first shop opened. The roundup says to expect more than 20 flavors, including Pistacchio, Giandujotto, Cioccolato Belga and Nutellina.

A concept that lasted under two years at this address gives way to an international brand with more than a decade behind it, and the other arrivals follow the same pattern.

A 1945 recipe with a new local name

Sugar 'N Spice is the clearest example of a newcomer leaning on its history. The shop started on Marine Avenue on Balboa Island in Newport Beach in 1945 as Dot & Bob Candies, run by Bob and Dorothy Cook, and took the Sugar 'N Spice name in 1959. It built its reputation on hand-dipped frozen bananas and Balboa Bars, which are ice cream bars dipped in chocolate with your choice of toppings. The menu also includes frozen cheesecake and soft-serve.

In Belmont Shore, the Balboa Bar will be called the Belmont Bar. Kern told Longbeachize she loves that "Balboa Bars are becoming Belmont Bars, starting a whole new tradition right here in Belmont Shore."

The new shop takes over the former European Wax Center space at 5269 E. 2nd St. That means a service business is being replaced by a food stop, the kind of place people walk to. The same article says the shop hopes to open in time for the Belmont Shore Christmas Parade, though the opening date has not been announced.

Taken together, Sugar 'N Spice and Bacio di Latte bring two new frozen-dessert counters to 2nd Street.

Mandala is the new name in the group

Mandala Spice & Grill is the one arrival without a long history behind it. It is a Nepali-Indian restaurant moving into the former Natraj storefront at 5262 E. Second St. Longbeachize included a photo of its chicken sekuwa, a grilled Nepali dish, and said a closer look at the menu is coming in the next few weeks.

At 5262, it is a few street numbers from the future Sugar 'N Spice at 5269, so if both open, that stretch of the street gets a new dinner spot and a new dessert stop.

Kelly's comes back to Naples

The pattern is easiest to see in Naples. George Mlouk, owner of Nico's, has bought the former Chianina/4 Shore building and plans to bring back Kelly's Steakhouse.

Longbeachize describes Kelly's as the city's oldest steakhouse before it closed in 2013. It opened in 1958 and served steaks, seafood and martinis in Naples. At its peak, it was considered one of the best restaurants in the city. The same report says Mlouk is still working out the details with the city.

So the building that held Chianina is getting back the name it was known by for 55 years, and the new owner already runs a restaurant in the neighborhood. Along with a 1945 sweet shop and a gelato brand founded in 2011, three of the four arrivals fit the same description: names that have already proven they can last.

The December dates to know

The neighborhood's two biggest holiday nights fall a week apart. If you are deciding when to stop by and see what has opened, these are the dates to know.

1. Saturday, Dec. 5, 6 to 9 p.m.: the 42nd Belmont Shore Christmas Parade. The route runs east on East Second Street from Quincy Avenue to Bayshore Avenue. Parade entries then head back west along the north side of the street toward Livingston Avenue. The Belmont Shore Business Association describes over a dozen local marching bands and 100 entries, including floats built by Long Beach businesses and associations. The parade is free and needs no ticket or RSVP.
2. Saturday, Dec. 12, 7 to 8 p.m.: the Naples Island Holiday Boat Parade. It runs on Alamitos Bay and the Naples Canals, according to the Naples Island Improvement Association.

The association notes that the parade falls on the first Saturday in December every year. The association calls it one of the biggest parades of the year in Long Beach, with families lining 2nd Street for a seat. A shop that opens before then gets that crowd on its doorstep, which makes the parade an obvious target for Sugar 'N Spice.

Sugar 'N Spice has only said it hopes to make that date. Mandala and Bacio di Latte haven't announced dates at all, so their openings could fall anywhere from this winter onward. Kelly's depends on the city working through the building details with Mlouk.

What to look for on your next walk

You can see the progress from the sidewalk at three addresses on 2nd Street: 4803 for Bacio di Latte, 5262 for Mandala Spice & Grill and 5269 for Sugar 'N Spice. In Naples, the former Chianina/4 Shore building is the one to watch for Kelly's.

The first Belmont Bar is the one milestone with a hoped-for date, the parade on Saturday, Dec. 5. Until then, the strip has three planned openings with no dates, plus a returning 1958 steakhouse that is still working through details with the city.

I love seeing a commercial street like 2nd Street fill its empty storefronts, because those changes shape what everyday life on the surrounding blocks feels like. If you live near Belmont Shore or Naples and want to talk about what that kind of change means for your own home, whether you're thinking of staying put, upsizing or selling, I'm glad to walk you through it step by step, in English or en español. Karina Chavez is always happy to hear from neighbors. Let's Connect.