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California |
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Tustin, California |
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Located
in Old Town Tustin. (Map) |
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Restaurants & Places to Eat and Drink
CENTRO 140 E. Main Street , Tustin, CA 92780 (714) 258-8817 ext. 2  
STORICO Spaghetteria & Cafe 405 El Camino Real, Tustin, CA 92780 (714) 258-8817
Retail
Johnny Jeans 401 El Camino Real Tustin, CA 92780 (714) 665-2408 - 
Kanan Jewelry Dresign 130 E, Main Street Tustin, CA 92780 (714) 544-3363
Spice & Tulips 403 El Camino Real, Tustin, CA 92780 (714) 975-1770 
Services
The Young American 150 E Main St, Tustin, CA 92780 (714) 838-8076 
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History of Cox's Market Plaza
The building today known as Cox's Market Plaza was built in 1925 by contractor Ed Kiser for Samuel Tustin, the son of city founder Columbus Tustin. Located at the southeast corner of Main Street and El Camino Real (formerly D Street) in Old Town Tustin, this landmark eventually became the home of the iconic Tustin Food Centef.
Historical Timeline & Evolution 1925 –
Early Construction & Civic Use: Samuel Tustin had the one-story commercial structure built to lease out. Its earliest tenants weren't groceries, but crucial civic hubs; the Knights of Pythias rented space to the original Tustin City Hall and the local post office. It also housed a drugstore, variety store, and shoe repair shop.
1930s – The Shift to Markets:
In the 1930s, the principal retail space was occupied by Continental Stores with a butcher named J.A. Dill:
1935 – The Arrival of the Cox Family:
Edwin and Leola Cox took over the lease in 1935, initially running Cox’s Grocery. As they expanded to occupy the entire front of the building, they formally established the Tustin Food Center, which served as Tustin's primary grocery market
1957 to Present – Cox's Market Plaza: The Cox family purchased the physical building in 1957. Today, it remains under family ownership, preserved as a boutique retail plaza that houses local shops, a restaurant, and a miniature museum displaying historical artifacts from Tustin's early commercial days. :
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 - Phil Cox |
Phil Cox
Remembering Phil Cox
Phil died peacefully in his sleep in his home in Eureka on 1/4/2025. He was 87 years young.
Phil was one of a kind and will be missed by many. His contributions to Old Town Tustin will not be forgotten. - Tustin Area Historical Society
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Old Town Tustin Memories Museum
Phil Cox remembered the four stores that were once at the corner of El Camino Real and Main Street: the drugstore where you could sit down for an ice cream sundae, the gas station, the famed bank that endured three robberies and, of course, his parents’ grocery store.
His museum is small, barely a 15-by-15-foot space. But Cox shows off items from each of the four businesses, including a syrup canister for ice cream, soda fountain treats, an original smudge pot and the First National Bank safe. All four of the businesses have long since disappeared.
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City Events
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Since 1940 |
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The Tustin Coffee Club originated around 1940 at the old Tustin Drug Store, located in the Knights of Pythias Building at the corner of Main Street and El Camino Real. Each midmorning, a bell was rung, signaling local ranchers and businessmen to gather at the counter to share news and conversation. This daily tradition continued for many years until the drugstore counter eventually closed. The Coffee Club tradition was later revived and preserved by a local buisness center owner and restaurateur Phil Cox, whose father had been one of the original members.
The Tustin Coffee Club is back! We’re returning to Storico Café, where we last met three years ago.
Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 9:00 a.m - For more information
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