Goodwill of Orange County opened its 25th retail store and donation center last week in Foothill Ranch.
The 20,000-square-foot space at Foothill Ranch Towne Centre takes the place of a shuttered 99 Cents Only Store. The thrift sells a wide selection of gently used clothing, accessories, home décor and odds and ends.
A drive-up donation center for gently used goods is located to the side of the building.
In August, the nonprofit opened a store in Costa Mesa, replacing a shuttered Ace Hardware store on Harbor Boulevard.
The Foothill Ranch shopping center in Lake Forest is in for big change when Costco gets moving on its next warehouse store, which is taking the place of the dormant Regal Cinemas.
Business columnist Jonathan Lansner wrote in June that Costco intends to demolish the movie theater, replacing it with a 160,811 square-foot warehouse store on the 16-acre site. The theater, which operated under the Regal and Cinemark brands, last showed films in September 2024.
The new Costco will not have a gas station. Instead, Costco is developing a gas station (only) in Mission Viejo. That plan includes building a 40-pump station at at 25732 El Paseo.
Address: 26542 Towne Centre Drive
Aliso Viejo pets store offers food, toys and baths, too
A new pet store in Aliso Viejo is settling into its new home at The Commons, the newly redeveloped shopping center on Aliso Creek Road.
Pet Evolution is the creation of Rick Zarski and Martin Balcaitis, both of longtime Orange County residents and pet “parents.” They have three dogs: Jonathan, Gina and Maggie.
“We started Pet Evolution due to our passion for pet care!” the duo told the Register. Their aim was simple: to bring healthier food and snacks to adored furry companions.
We asked a few questions about the store, which opened this spring. Their answers have been lightly edited for length.
Q: What can you tell us about the store and what it sells?
A: Pet Evolution sells high quality, healthy food, treats and toys. None of our food contains any fillers like corn, soy, wheat or any by-products and only humanely sourced meats. We have a selection of gently cooked and frozen or freeze dried raw products as well.
We also have a treat table with single source treats like puffed cow snouts, duck heads and chicken feet.
Q: Does the store offer grooming services?
A: We have a full grooming salon offering baths to full hair cuts. We specialize in Golden Doodle cuts.
Prices for grooming start at $70. We also offer mobile nail trims on the weekends. We come to you and trim your dog’s nails in our custom van. This is a great option for senior or nervous pets. We also offer walk-in nail trims in the store every day.
Q: Do you offer DIY pet-washing stations?
A: Yes, self-wash is amazing! We supply all of the shampoo and towels that you need as well as a high-velocity dryer. No time limit and no appointment needed. Single washes start at $28, and we offer monthly memberships as well! The best part is we do all the clean up! We have four tubs that are the perfect height so you aren’t hurting your back at all. The dogs love them, too.
The store is at 26541 Aliso Creek Road, next door to Trader Joe’s. For more information, go to petevolution.com or call 949-281-7653.
Target accepting clothing donations
Target has launched a Clothing Take Back Program, an effort to keep textiles from joining garbage at the landfill.
The retailer is installing donation bins at eight Orange County stores where shoppers can drop off clothing of any brand. There are some exceptions on the list, and we’ll get to that in a bit.
Target is getting ahead of a new law in California that requires producers and sellers to manage the “reuse, repair and recycling” of garments under Senate Bill 707, also known as The Responsible Textile Recovery Act. Merchants and producers have until July 1, 2026 to submit plans to do so.
Participating Orange County stores include:
- Aliso Viejo / La Paz Road
- Buena Park / Orangethorpe Avenue
- Costa Mesa / E. 17th St.
- Garden Grove / Brookhurst
- Huntington Beach / Garfield and Beach
- Irvine Spectrum
- La Habra / W. Imperial Highway
- Westminster / Beach Boulevard
Target notes the clothing can be in “any condition” but it must be clean and dry. It will not accept swimwear, rain or snow gear, footwear, bags or purses.
The clothing will be recycled or disposed of “responsibly,” the retailer notes.
For more information, go to target.com/c/clothing-take-back-program/-/N-ducoz
On the move
Brian Maxwell is the first chief people officer for the law firm Kahana Feld in Irvine. He will oversee the firm’s “talent strategy and organizational culture” at offices nationwide while leading initiatives on recruiting, retaining and developing top talent and enhancing employee relations. Maxwell worked at Deloitte for 25 years, many of them as a managing director of human resources divisions.
Justin Hassani is a new associate in the business law firm Cummins & White’s Civil Litigation Department in Newport Beach. His background is in judgment enforcement, real property and intellectual property litigation.
On board
Newly elected officers at the Orange County United Way Board of Directors include Chairman Lawrence R. Armstrong, chairman at Ware Malcomb; Vice Chair Shirin Behzadi, CEO at Shirin Behzadi LLC; Treasure Hugh Conners, who is retired from BMO; and Secretary Maggie O’Sullivan. New board members include Meg Appelgate, Greg Backley, Tara Balfour, Kim Chips, Steve Churm, John Combs, Linh Nguyen, Bill Parente, Mike Ruane and Ernest Schroeder.
Good works
Volunteers at Hyundai turned out in the pouring rain Saturday, Nov. 15, donating 750 turkeys to families in need from its national headquarters. The donations went out using a network of nonprofit partners including Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA of Orange County, WISEPlace, Habitat for Humanity, Orange County United Way, Rady Children’s Health, UCI Health, Altamed, among others.
Girls Inc. of Orange County’s annual College Bound Luncheon raised $450,000 for the nonprofit’s programs that mentor girls into college programs. The multi-year College Bound pathway guides girls from middle school through their senior year of high school, offering STEM exploration, career mentoring, campus visits, and senior-year application support. Last year, Girls Inc. of OC awarded $222,000 in scholarships to 20 girls. For more information, go to girlsinc-oc.org.
Status Update is compiled and written by Business Editor Samantha Gowen. Submit items and high-resolution photos to sgowen@scng.com. Allow at least one week for publication. Items are edited for length and clarity.
