A Pizza Joint Might Be Moving Into Downtown Laguna Beach

The large empty retail space at 222 Ocean Ave. in the downtown Laguna Beach village previously occupied by Sirous & Son Rug Gallery -- and a Big Dogs clothing outlet before that -- may eventually have a delicious new tenant: Dom DeMarco's Pizzaria.

The Planning Commission at tonight's March 27 meeting will take up the topic of restoring the building -- originally built to house Laguna Federal Savings and Loan in 1952 -- to its original appearance. That would mean an overhaul of the present design, as well a restoration of the building's original outdoor patio and decorative fountain.

Once that's done and all the proper paperwork is put through and approved, Dom DeMarco's Pizzaria would move in and open in 2014. The planned 125-seat restaurant would serve just what you think a New York-style pizzaria would, with plenty of pizza and pasta dishes, as well as chicken and seafood, plus an extensive wine list, judging from its website menu.

Though the restaurant has roots going back to Brooklyn, the name achieved greater notoriety and glowing reviews after opening another location in Las Vegas in 2011. The Laguna Beach location would be the second Dom DeMarco's.

In its conditional use permit application, the owners write, "The natural beauty, character, and history of Laguna Beach make this an ideal match for this iconic Brooklyn brand centered on tradition, family, and culture. 222 Ocean Avenue is a diamond in the rough and we are committed to restoring the building as a historic landmark to cre­ate a gathering place that locals can be proud of and that visitors will appreciate. The concept has several characteristics that make it appro­priate for the times while appealing to a wide range of consumers of nearly all ages. The visitors and locals are looking for an authentic ex­perience in a comfortable space that exudes interest, character and great taste that they can keep coming back to. DeMarco's offers an es­tablished brand, a value based menu, highest quality, imported ingredients, full bar component, stylish design, and open lushly landscaped patio, that foster social gathering."

(You can check out menus, blueprints, and other details on the planned DeMarco's by clicking the PDF files in the photo box above.)

DeMarco's would replace the previous tenant, Sirous & Son Rug Gallery, which became infamous when that store's manager, Saeid Boustanabadi Maralan, was arrested in 2011 after having been accused of multiple sexual assaults involving several women, some of which allegedly took place inside the business.

Maralan's trial date is pending. Sirous & Son .