Why we're championing local Malibu businesses
When Coral Beach Cantina closed in 2019 after 37 years, we didn't just lose a restaurant — a little piece of the neighborhood went with it. The patio where families celebrated birthdays, the bartenders who remembered your order, the chips that arrived warm before you'd even sat down. That's not something a chain can replace. It's something local.
A town is only as alive as the independent businesses that give it character.
Malibu has been through a lot — fires, closures, rising costs, landlords and leases that don't always favor the little guy. We know firsthand how fragile a small business can be. So instead of letting this website fade into a "permanently closed" sign, we decided to use it for something better: to send people toward the independent restaurants, shops, and makers still fighting the good fight up and down Pacific Coast Highway.
What you'll find here
This blog will spotlight local Malibu businesses worth your time and money — the family-run kitchens, the food trucks, the corner spots with heart. When you choose one of them over a chain, you're keeping someone's dream alive and keeping Malibu, well, Malibu.
We're building the list now, and we'd love your help. If there's an independent business that means something to you, tell us about it on our memory & suggestions form. And if you have a memory of the Cantina to share, we'd treasure that too.
Thank you for being part of this community. Please — support local.