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Three generations bring the legendary Zov’s to San Clemente

March 18, 2026

“Greet your guests with a non-physical hug.”

That is how Armen Karamardian describes the baseline for hospitality at Zov’s, the Mediterranean eatery that opened in Tustin nearly 40 years ago. This philosophy of warmth began with his mother, Zov, a self-taught culinary powerhouse who turned a tiny, three-table lunch counter into a three-generation Orange County institution. Now, the namesake restaurant is set to embrace another part of the region, stretching all the way south.

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The Karamardian family is officially bringing Zov’s to San Clemente, slated to open this spring. For a brand that helped define Orange County’s dining identity, long before lurid jargon like “chef-driven” or “curated” were marketing buzzwords, the move to 155 Avenida Del Mar, right along the coastal enclave’s main drag, feels less like a corporate expansion and more like a long-awaited homecoming.

The story Zov’s started when Zov Karamardian opened her doors in 1987, debuting in the restaurant world sans a formal culinary degree or a venture-capital backer. What she did have was even better: her recipes, a fascination with Julia Child and enough drive to pave the road for future female restaurateurs during a time when that road was mostly dirt.

ALSO READ: Zov’s celebrates 35 years in Tustin, eyes expansion to San Clemente

“Everyone knows their mother is strong and everyone’s mom is the strongest,” said Armen Karamardian, who now serves as CEO. “But I got to see my mom build a business with sheer willpower and passion at a time when there really weren’t any women in the position she was in. She paved the road for others to follow.”

Armen calls his mom a “role model” for doing what she did and when she did it.

That road she helped create eventually led Armen back home. In 1993, while a senior at college, he stepped in to help while his father, Gary, dealt with health issues. Initially intended as a temporary stint, it turned into an epiphany for the budding restaurateur. He soon realized the restaurant wasn’t just “mom’s thing,” but a family affair.

“This was an actual business that people were very connected to, making an impact on people’s lives and really forging into a community in Tustin,” he recalled. “I had the epiphany at that time that I don’t want to go into the workforce. I wanted to join Zov’s and help realize this vision.”

Now, the legacy restaurant has hit its third act with Morgan, Armen’s daughter. A marketing graduate from Loyola Marymount, Morgan, Zov’s brand manager, represents the youthful energy necessary to help a legacy brand from turning into a museum piece. (Zov’s has always managed to keep its menu and vibe fresh without retreating into hazy nostalgia or diving headfirst into viral slop.) She started at 15, working front-of-house and her entry into the business was a conscious choice.

ALSO READ: 3 new restaurants opening soon in Orange County

“My end game was to end up at the restaurant and help grow it, expand it and learn from the bottom up and just take it from there,” said Morgan.

Morgan, in part, is helping bridge the gap between the Tustin loyalists and a new generation of diners. Armen credits her with bringing a “youthful perspective” and “whole new energy.” She has overseen Zov’s evolution, including a craft cocktail and mocktail program, a move that has proven savvy as younger demographics pivot toward fresh and spirit-free drinks.

The move south (Zov’s has locations in Irvine and Newport Beach, in addition to its homebase in the Enderle Center in Tustin) was essentially dictated by fans. As Tustin residents migrated toward the coast over the last couple of decades, the Karamardians noticed their regulars were moving, too. Smart move as Orange County’s southernmost town has, as of late, turned into a food oasis, most notably with the recent opening of Ilya and the upcoming Miramar Food Hall. “San Clemente has become a dining town,” said Armen. “As a Mediterranean restaurant, it has a lot of the elements of the fare we have in our restaurants.”

While the surroundings are new, the soul remains the same. The menu will still lean on the hits — like herb-seasoned grilled lamb chops, mezze platters with silky hummus and baba ghanoush and signature flatbreads — but there will be a renewed focus on seafood and seasonal ingredients that mirror the seaside setting.

As the family prepares for a late spring opening, likely in April, the excitement on Del Mar is evident. (In addition to street level dining, the new location, benefitting from a complete renovation from the foundation up, will come with indoor and patio dining, a private events space with its own dedicated entrance, booth seating and an expansive bar.) It’s rare to see a restaurant survive 40 years, let alone thrive across three generations without losing its focus. But at Zov’s, it remains a collective, familial effort.

Orange County Register

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Three generations bring the legendary Zov’s to San Clemente

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