With the BeachLife Grotto and General Store, Fans of the Festival Can Get Their Fix Any Month of the Year
Beyond the music.
- CategoryEat & Drink, Fashion, Homes, People
- Written byDarren Elms
- Photographed byJP Cordero
When the BeachLife Festival debuted five years ago, the South Bay got its first taste of big concert action with three days of crowd-pleasing music that included Willie Nelson, Brian Wilson and Bob Weir. Since then, the roster has boasted talent like the Steve Miller Band, Counting Crows, Gwen Stefani, the Smashing Pumpkins and, most recently, Sting—to name a few.
The festival has become so anticipated, our community counts down the days to the lineup release like many do with Coachella. But with months in between events, how do you keep up the momentum?
That’s something BeachLife co-founders Allen Sanford and Rob Lissner considered when making a play for an ongoing presence in the community. He chose Catalina Avenue, the pulse of Riviera Village, for a brick-and-mortar project, debuting BeachLife Grotto and BeachLife General Store earlier this year.
Like the festival that established the BeachLife brand, the new restaurant and retail store would turn the surf culture and musical heritage of the South Bay into a living, breathing place for the community to enjoy together … but this time, year-round.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Chef Jacob Ramos recently headed up the restaurant Sunset Monalisa in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. After he and Allen met through a mutual friend, they began the three-year project of getting BeachLife Grotto off the ground.
Pictured above: Brent Broza, Chef Jacob Ramos and Jim Lindberg
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“We wanted to create an immersive experience that captures the essence of our BeachLife culture—a place to enjoy top-quality cuisine and cocktails without ditching our flip-flops,” says Allen.
With a seafood-focused menu that features a daily selection of oysters, lobster, dayboat scallops and market-fresh fish, Chef Jacob wanted to highlight the treasures of the sea for his guests. “We all carry a certain beach vibe,” he says of himself and his culinary team. “I’ve been working on the ocean in three different countries for 12 years. We all love the beach and cooking seafood.” His personal favorites include the branzino, John Dory and seafood tower.
Designed by Steven Jones of Better Shelter, the space enjoys a casual vibe that matches its beach-friendly mantra … a surf shack aesthetic with a sandy palette, leather barstools, roped lighting fixtures, and a gallery wall of seascapes and ocean art.
Upstairs, BeachLife General Store takes the inspiration from seafood to style. To help realize his vision for an adjoining retail store, Allen hired Tanya Monaghan, who also moonlights as Southbay magazine’s style editor.
“This was a unique idea, and I was up for the challenge,” shares Tanya. “Allen and I both grew up in Palos Verdes during what I consider to be a golden era. We truly embraced a retro beach culture and were deeply influenced by music that originated before our time. Our soundtrack was rooted in musical greats such as The Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead, Bob Marley, Tom Petty, the Steve Miller Band, The Doors and the like. He asked if I could create a retail space to embody that.”
As such, each product has ties to either music, surf or beach culture. “Leading up to our opening this past summer, I researched many California-made brands and surf brands, and reached out to some local artisans who are right for our brand,” says Tanya. “The most challenging part was what to leave out! The idea was to stock brands that are different from other retail stores in the South Bay.”
“Allen and I both grew up in Palos Verdes during what I consider to be a golden era. We truly embraced a retro beach culture and were deeply influenced by music that originated before our time.”
With the blend of restaurant and retail in one venue, the space allows patrons of both to mix and mingle. A popular spot is the sunset deck above the Grotto, where you’ll find customers sitting by the firepit and enjoying music, bites and drinks before hitting the General Store.
“The idea is for the customer to have an interactive experience,” adds Tanya. “As you walk in, you will see an old-school record player spinning records in the corner below a neon pink ‘COOL VIBES ONLY’ sign. We invite the customer to drop a needle on their favorite record and peruse our curated products.”
Highlights from the store’s wares include BeachLife’s own private label merchandise, local fashion brand Stoned Immaculate, which echoes the ’70s California golden music era and BeachLife’s appreciation for all things vintage. The General Store is the only South Bay boutique to stock MONDAY12 Studios by a local designer who prides herself on creating elevated, high-end leisure essentials with a fresh approach to comfort.
You’ll also find jewelry, record players, speakers, books, candles, home goods, hats, sunglasses and all kinds of beach essentials. In a nod to the festival’s origins, you can purchase both local art and autographed products from some BeachLife artists like The Lumineers, Gwen Stefani, Donavon Frankenreiter and Courtney Barnett.
“Because we are tied to the restaurant, we felt it was appropriate to sell some beautifully packaged, high-quality food goods such as olive oil, honey, nuts, jams and salts,” says Tanya. “We also pride ourselves on having an amazing men’s section—making it easy for men to shop or be shopped for in our store.”
So while we all await the 2025 BeachLife lineup to be announced, take advantage of the good vibes happening on Catalina Avenue. We can’t promise that Sting will be dining at the next table, but we can guarantee a great night out and maybe even a hat to hold you over.
