RETAIL ROUNDUP

Chip Foster has seen firsthand that his brand of denim jeans is a hot item in Orange County. Either that, or he’s just a really good salesman.

Foster, who founded the clothing retailer Chip & Pepper with his twin brother, Pepper, stopped by his company’s new store in Fashion Island last weekend to see how business was going. While he was there, he tried his hand at luring customers — and managed to snare more than a few.

“He actually had the top sales for the day,” Pepper wrote in a joint e-mail to the Daily Pilot.

“I should get some sort of bonus prize for being top seller,” Chip added in the next line.

The twins, who launched their first company in Canada in 1987, started an American enterprise in 2003. In addition to stocking their denim products at department and specialty stores, the Fosters have opened three Chip & Pepper stores across the country — in New York City, Dallas and Newport Beach, the last location opened in May.

The brothers said Fashion Island, with its closeness to Los Angeles and beaches, was their ideal spot for a California store.

“It really is perfect,” Pepper said. “It is exactly how I envision a day spent shopping in Southern California.”

Chip & Pepper, located by the koi pond at Fashion Island, is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call (949) 644-2447 for information.

Other brothers open Old Vine Café

For some reason, brother acts seem to be on the rise in Newport-Mesa business. Barely two months after Chip & Pepper moved to Fashion Island, siblings Brandon and Mark McDonald launched their first restaurant, the Old Vine Café, at the CAMP alternative mall in Costa Mesa.

The restaurant, which will officially open Monday after a pair of grand-opening parties Saturday and Sunday, features cuisine from France, Italy, Spain and other countries around the world. In addition to serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, the restaurant doubles as a retailer, selling meats, cheeses, produce and more than 150 brands of wine.

“We’ve both worked in the business for years, and this is our baby,” said Brandon, who manages the restaurant while his brother serves as head chef.

Prices for most entrees start at $8, with a special four-course dinner for $60 with wine or $40 without. The Old Vine Café, located next to the Native Foods vegan restaurant at 2937 Bristol St., serves breakfast and lunch seven days a week and stays open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday.

NikeStore welcomes both genders

When women go Nike shopping at South Coast Plaza now, they won’t have to leave their boyfriends behind.

The mall’s NikeStore — formerly NikeWomen — became the company’s second location nationwide to turn coed Saturday. The store, open during regular mall hours, now features shoes and athletic wear for both sexes.

Sales associate Maryn Ciarelli said sales have already been promising.