One of the most beloved bars in Coronado is closing. The Little Club at 132 Orange Avenue — a no-frills dive bar that has anchored the quiet end of the island's main street for six decades — is shutting down at the end of March 2026 after the building was sold to a new owner. The closure marks the end of an era for a bar that locals considered the last holdout of old Coronado, a cash-only, jukebox-and-pool-table establishment that never chased trends and never needed to.
The building was purchased by an entity linked to Mexican businessman Juan Jose Arellano Hernandez, the founder of Grupo ARHE, whose portfolio includes the Swagyu Japanese wagyu restaurant concept. What will replace The Little Club has not been officially announced, but the Swagyu connection has fueled speculation that the space will become another upscale dining concept — a prospect that has drawn mixed reactions from residents who have watched Orange Avenue's transformation accelerate over the past two years.
Six Decades of Coronado History
The Little Club opened in the mid-1960s and became a fixture of Coronado's social fabric in ways that newer, flashier establishments never quite replicated. It was the kind of place where Navy families, long-time residents, and hotel workers mixed on equal footing over cheap beer and conversation. Tim Turner, the grandson of the bar's longtime operators, ran the day-to-day and cultivated a regular crowd that treated the place more like a living room than a business. According to recent reports, Turner is exploring the possibility of reopening the concept at a new Coronado location, though nothing has been confirmed.
The closure lands in the middle of a broader reshaping of Coronado's dining and nightlife scene. In just the past year, the island has gained La Corriente Coronado (upscale Baja seafood at 1100 Orange), Blanco Cocina + Cantina (modern Sonoran-style cooking at 1301 Orange), Crack Taco Shop (late-night tacos at 1009 Orange), and Dive Restaurant & Bar at The Bower Coronado — the island's first-ever rooftop bar. The Baby Grand Crown City Hotel at 1315 Orange is bringing three more restaurant concepts in 2026, including a reservation-only oyster and champagne bar called Fallen Empire.
A Changing Orange Avenue
The Little Club is not the only legacy business to close recently. Island Pasta shuttered in October 2025 after 31 years at 1202 Orange Avenue — that space became Double Standard, a burger joint from Blue Bridge Hospitality. Earth, Wind & Sea, a gift shop at 1303 Orange, closed in May 2025 after two decades; its storefront is becoming a Salt & Straw ice cream shop. For many residents, the pattern is clear: rising commercial rents and a flood of hospitality investment are remaking Coronado's streetscape at a pace the island has never experienced.
None of that diminishes what's being gained. The new restaurants are largely excellent. Habaneros Mexican Food at 900 Orange and Crack Taco Shop have added affordable options alongside the upscale arrivals. Coronado Brewing Company is celebrating its 30th anniversary with strong growth and new beer releases. MooTime Creamery and Clayton's Mexican Take Out continue to thrive as multigenerational Coronado originals. The island's business community is not disappearing — it is changing character.
But The Little Club was something that cannot be replicated by a concept restaurant or a hospitality group with investor backing. It was a place that earned its identity over 60 years of simply being there — no marketing, no social media presence, no grand reopening. When the lights go out at 132 Orange Avenue later this month, Coronado will be a little more polished, a little more curated, and a little less itself.
