2 Big Openings, 1 Chef Shake-Up & What’s Next for Best of Laguna Beach

After 22 years, I’m taking Best of Laguna Beach to the next level – I’d love your support.

Jun 06, 2025

Hey friends — Diane here.

For 22 years now (can you believe it?!), I’ve poured my heart and time into Best of Laguna Beach.

When I first started this little project in 2003, it was a fun side hobby – sharing what I loved about our town. But over the years, it’s grown into a trusted source for tens of thousands of locals and global visitors alike:
👉 100,000+ followers
👉 18,000+ email subscribers
👉 More than 11,000 stories, reviews and scoops – straight from me to you.

And through it all, my mission has been the same:
To champion the independent spirit of Laguna Beach.

This town is built on creativity, boldness and one-of-a-kind businesses from visionary chefs and restaurateurs, to artisans, world-shifting entrepreneurs and cultural leaders.

While other marketing efforts may focus solely on promoting our beaches, Best of Laguna Beach has always gone deeper – celebrating the business spirit that makes this town so unique in the world.

Me (in red) with many Laguna restaurant owners and chefs back in 2017. Time for another group photo, my friend!s!

Did you know?

→ We have more internationally seasoned chefs who’ve chosen Laguna as their home per capita than any city from San Diego to San Francisco?
→ We host two of the largest art festivals in the world.
→ We’re home to the world’s longest professionally running “living pictures” productions, the iconic Pageant of the Masters.
→ We’re also a proud Tree City USA – recognized for 40 YEARS for preserving our town’s natural beauty and urban forest.
→ And we’re home to countless other innovators – from fashion and food to game-changing film and Hollywood production to globally renowned fine art and beyond.

This is the Laguna Beach I’ve spent 18 years writing about — and the Laguna Beach I want to continue championing.

But to do that, it’s time to evolve.

👉 Starting this week, Best of Laguna Beach is moving to a member-supported model.
👉 You’ll still see some public content (I’ll never stop loving this community!) but my best content, biggest scoops, behind-the-scenes stories, and curated guides will now live inside my paid membership on Substack.

I’m telling you this first – because you’ve been with me on this journey. 💛

What makes up Laguna Beach deserves a bigger voice

Why the change? Because this brand deserves to keep growing … and because it can’t live on love alone anymore. You deserve the best content possible. And I need to create a model that sustains it.

But more importantly: I believe our phenomenally talented independent businesses, chefs, artists and innovators DESERVE a louder voice on the global stage. These people – our fellow residents to so many of us – are what make Laguna Beach a true stand-out destination and I want to innovatively drive even more increased business and year-round attention to, and attract the kind of quality visitor who appreciates our rich heritage and beauty, and supports and invests in our businesses accordingly.

I can do that at a much bigger and more leveraged level with your help.

Founding Members will get:
✅ Early access to ALL restaurant openings & chef news
✅ Full insider restaurant reviews
✅ My KXFM 104.7 weekly replays first (this week I talked about the best June events in Laguna Beach)
✅ My Best of Laguna Beach dining & experience guides
✅ Member-only Q&As and recommendations
✅ Behind-the-scenes radio episodes & bonus content
✅ VIP invites to “pop-up meetups” — “Dine with Diane” + restaurant experiences (Founding Members get first access)
✅ Recognition in our public Founder’s Circle on Substack (optional - I’ll explain in another email)
✅ A way to keep this going strong for years to come

And the timing? Couldn’t be better.

👉 Next week: I’ll be dropping two major restaurant announcements PLUS news of a game-changing chef swap at one of our top spots (trust me, you won’t want to miss this one).
👉 Following week: Another major new restaurant reveal.

Founding Members get first access to it all.

Become a Founding Member today:

To be in my early Founder’s Circle, it’s just $13/month or $89/year (saving $67 right off the top)
(Current paid members – you’re already in! ❤️)

Just enter your email address here: