Two months after the Main Fire tore through a block of Old Town Newhall’s Main Street, two of the businesses it displaced have decided to stay in the neighborhood rather than leave it behind. The Aug. 24 blaze, which started near El Trocadero and spread through much of the block, destroyed the buildings that had housed Newhall Refinery and the Care Tucker boutique. Both are now relocating to new spaces just steps from where they used to be.
Newhall Refinery, the family-run restaurant that sat right next to where the fire began, has signed a lease on the former Draconum Brewery space nearby. Owner Christine Munoz is targeting a spring reopening once renovations are complete, including a decision on whether the old brewing area becomes private dining or additional general seating. In the meantime, the team plans to stay visible in the community, including taking part in next month’s Light Up Main event. Munoz, who first tried to buy the restaurant back in December 2022, said a GoFundMe campaign helped her take care of displaced employees and replace lost equipment, and she credited the city’s economic development team — especially manager Tyler Pledger — with speeding up the permitting process.
Across the street, Care Tucker boutique is moving into the space last occupied by interior designer Mixed by Design, directly across from Newhall Hardware. Owner Care Tucker, who runs the shop with her husband Johnny, is aiming for a soft opening in December. The new location’s existing layout, including three fitting rooms already built out, should make for a faster transition, though some fixtures lost in the fire will need to be custom-ordered to replace.
Both owners pointed to the same reason for staying put: the relationships they’d built on Main Street. “We wanted to stay on Main Street just because of the community that we built,” Tucker said. Neighboring business owners welcomed the news — Louise Castaldo of Eighth and Rail called it “fantastic,” and stylist Josh Rivas said the moves are a sign that local businesses still believe in Main Street’s future.
For a corridor that’s spent two months staring at a burned-out block, two confirmed reopenings are a meaningful signal — proof that Old Town Newhall’s small-business core isn’t going anywhere, even if it takes a few more months to look the part again.
Source: The Signal
Are you a local business owner? Add your business listing on Los Angeles Business Web today.