Tony Fasulo has a habit of walking through Old Brea Chop House near the end of the lunch rush and quietly telling a server that a table is celebrating and should get dessert. He and his wife, Dani, opened the Downtown Brea steakhouse in 2020. Since then, the kitchen has kept getting requests it couldn't handle at service: a beef Wellington ordered ahead, a whole carrot cake for a birthday party. "I hate to say 'no,' I really do, but how can I do all these things?" Fasulo told the Los Angeles Times in August.
His answer was a second business, and it isn't downtown. Chef Cut Meat House opened at 415 S. Associated Road, inside Brea Plaza at Imperial Highway. On Thursday, Oct. 8, the Brea Chamber of Commerce will hold a grand-reopening ribbon cutting at the center called the Bash at Brea Plaza, from 4 to 6 p.m. at 1639 E. Imperial Highway.
You could read the reopening as a mall bringing in new tenants. The roster tells a more local story. The two biggest additions of the past year meet needs Brea already had. One is a bookstore the city went years without. The other is a downtown restaurant's overflow, moved a short drive east.
The building on the north side
Brea Plaza has had the same owner for a long time. BOSC says it bought the center in 1992 and dates its latest renovation to 2025. The clearest sign of that renovation is a new two-story building on the north side of the property.
In October 2025, the Orange County Register's Brea columnist made a point about the bookstore going in on that building's ground floor. People in Brea hadn't been able to browse the shelves of a real bookstore in town for several years. Barnes & Noble filled that gap on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. The store sits at 439 S. Associated Road, covers more than 15,000 square feet, and sells books, toys, games, magazines, gifts and vinyl.
Locals should know one layout detail before a first visit. The Brea store doesn't have its own café. The Register noted a Starbucks right next door, which handles the coffee. Brea Olinda High School's student paper described cushioned seats and room to browse inside. The store also keeps a local events calendar with author events and children's programs, so check it before planning a Saturday around a visit.
Two existing Brea Plaza businesses were also announced for this building. Waad Nadhir of BOSC Realty Advisors told the Register that Grand Salon and Ajliss Medical Aesthetics would move to the second floor, reached by a staircase and an elevator. If you're a regular at either one, call ahead to confirm which suite they're in now.
A steakhouse kitchen, sold by the pound
Chef Cut Meat House is the newest piece. It's also the clearest example of the reopening being built from Brea's own businesses. It moved into the space The Butchery used to occupy. Its website says it is open every day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and describes three parts: a butcher counter, a scratch kitchen and a wine bar with seating for about 20. You can also order a craft tap beer while you wait.
The Times walked through the shop before it opened and got specific about the food. The kitchen smokes brisket and roasts beef for French dips, and it makes cheesecakes and other desserts in-house. The menu includes smash burgers and meatball subs. The bread shelves carry focaccia baked on site and loaves from Bub and Grandma's. Most of it is grab-and-go, but there are a few tables and booths. The wine cellar pours by the glass and also sells bottles to take home.
Fasulo described the visit he has in mind to the Times. A family comes in and the kids eat sandwiches. Mom has a glass of wine, notices the steaks in the case, and picks up a couple for the weekend. That plan makes sense at Imperial and Associated, where people already come for groceries and errands. It would be harder to pull off in a sit-down dining room on Birch Street.
What's open in the new-ish corner
| Business | Address | What it is | Status this fall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chef Cut Meat House | 415 S. Associated Rd. | Butcher counter, scratch kitchen, wine bar | Open daily, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Barnes & Noble | 439 S. Associated Rd. | Bookstore with toys, games, vinyl | Open since Nov. 5, 2025 |
| Ubatuba Açaí | 1623 E. Imperial Hwy. | Açaí bowls, empanadas, smoothies | Open daily, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Buca di Beppo | 1609 E. Imperial Hwy. | Family-style Italian | Open, with reservations and ordering online |
Ubatuba took over the former Creamistry space in late 2025. It serves Brazilian açaí bowls, empanadas and smoothies. Many longtime tenants are still in the rest of the center. BOSC's food directory lists Lucille's BBQ, XLB Dumpling, bb.q Chicken Brea, California Fish Grill, Sushi Club, Panini Kabob Grill, Jax Donuts, Sip & Go Cafe and Mother's Market, along with Chick-fil-A, Panera Bread and Chipotle.
Building a fall Saturday around it
Brea Plaza works best as part of a longer day, and the city's fall calendar fills in the rest. Oct. 31 falls on a Saturday this year, and that's the date the Treats on the Street ideas below are built around.
- Morning. Ubatuba opens at 9 a.m., which makes it the earliest stop on this corner. Walk over to Barnes & Noble afterward, and check its events calendar first in case a children's story time or author event is scheduled.
- Midday. Chef Cut serves breakfast from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and its all-day menu from 11 a.m., so lunch fits easily before you leave with Sunday dinner from the butcher case.
- Evening. Treats on the Street runs from 5 to 7 p.m. at Birch Street and Brea Boulevard in Downtown Brea. Brea Downtown's Costume Contest has been running since Sept. 30, and its listing shows a cutoff of 12 a.m. on Oct. 30, so get entries in by the end of Oct. 29 to be safe.
The Curtis Theatre adds more weekends. Assassins runs Oct. 9 through 18. A Hollywood Horror Story plays Sunday, Oct. 25, at 5 p.m., and The Random 1s perform Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. Looking ahead to the holidays, the city's Nutcracker Craft Boutique comes to the Brea Community Center at 695 E. Madison Way on Friday, Nov. 20, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The city expects more than 250 vendors. Admission is $3, and children under 12 get in free. In the Downtown core, the Main Event planned for the former Regal theater on Birch Street still shows "Coming Soon" on its website, so confirm before you go.
Why the reopening reads as local
Look at the Oct. 8 ribbon cutting as a whole. The owner has held the center since 1992. Grand Salon and Ajliss Medical Aesthetics were announced as moves within the same property. The newest restaurant comes from a couple who already run one of Downtown Brea's dining rooms and started Chef Cut because those customers wanted more than one dining room could offer. Even the bookstore fills a gap the Register's Brea columnist had pointed out by name. The Chamber's event runs Thursday, Oct. 8, from 4 to 6 p.m. at 1639 E. Imperial Highway.
At BK Platinum Properties, we follow changes like the new bookstore, butcher shop and açaí counter at Imperial and Associated because they shape everyday life for the homes nearby. If you own near Brea Plaza and want to know how your home compares on today's market, request a complimentary home valuation, and our family-run team will share what we're seeing in your part of Brea.
