Poppy & Seed team brings two new food concepts to OCVibe Katella Commons

Michael and Kwini Reed will open two new food concepts at Katella Commons in Anaheim. The OCVibe development announced the partnership on October 29, 29, 2026. The couple, who run Poppy & Seed in Anaheim and Poppy & Rose in Los Angeles, will bring their culinary ideas to the new 50,000-square-foot food market hall.

The first concept, Poppy & Park, is a barbecue stall. Chef Michael Reed spent two to three years developing smoked dishes at Poppy & Seed. He plans to apply those techniques to the new venture. The menu will also feature vegetable sides inspired by the backyard barbecues from the couple’s childhoods. Reed said the stall will serve "really good mac and cheese, collard greens, all the fun things like that."

The second concept is Little Poppy, a breakfast and brunch location. The menu will include popular dishes from Poppy & Rose. Reed stated that Little Poppy will feature "all the heavy hitters from Poppy & Rose." The spot will open early in the day to serve office workers and local residents, though specific hours have not been set. Both locations will occupy separate stalls, one on each floor of the building.

The Reeds expect to open in spring 2027. OCVibe initially approached the couple with the idea. They resumed negotiations a few months ago. Kwini Reed noted that the smaller stall format made it feasible to expand with two different concepts. She said, "We’ve had these concepts in our back pocket, so it felt like the perfect marriage."

Katella Commons is part of Phase One of the OCVibe project. The development is slated to open in 2027. The facility will include 21 kitchens and six bars and lounges across two floors. The first phase also includes a new 5,000-person concert hall. The full OCVibe development is a $5 billion, 100-acre project near Honda Center that will include housing, hotels, a museum, offices, and parks.

The Reeds are not the only local names joining the project. Other announced operators include Zach Scherer and Drew Adams of Darkroom and Chrysalis, Debbie Lee, Danielle Duran Zecca and Alessandro Zecca of Amiga Amore, and Alberto Bañuelos of Burritos La Palma. The list also includes Alex Garcia and Elvia Huerta of Evil Cooks, Gelato Paradiso, MFK, and Kanate Ungkasrithongkul and Anita Lin of Manaao Thai Comfort Food. Their new project will focus on khao soi.

Additional participants include Don Churros Gomez of Santa Ana, Guoming Xin of Mojo and Pull & Roll, and Wedchayan Arpapornnopparat of Holy Basil. Roy Choi will open a version of Best Friend. Tim Hollingsworth will lead a wood-fire concept. Damon Cho of Izakaya Osen will operate Osen Urban Table. José Andrés’ restaurant group will open a location at Sena, a hotel expected to open in 2029.

The Reeds opened Poppy & Seed in 2021. The restaurant serves seasonal American cooking using ingredients from its own garden. In 2023, Michael Reed was named a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef: California. He has worked in kitchens in New York City and Los Angeles. The couple recently signed a new five-year lease for their existing Anaheim location.