Restaurant encourages lingering

COSTA MESA — Not everyone may remember “Reality Bites,” a 1994 comedy about a group of young slackers who spend much of their time whittling away the hours in bars and restaurants. But the founders of Cosi have never forgotten it.

The Illinois-based restaurant chain, which opened its first Southern California location in Costa Mesa on Saturday, found its inspiration in the Ben Stiller-Winona Ryder cult classic and sought to create a haven for diners and drifters alike. In addition to an extensive menu, the restaurant offers free high-speed Internet access, an outdoor patio area and movable tables.

“The whole idea is that you can come into Cosi and just linger,” said spokesman Bob Ochsner.

Cosi, which has 135 locations nationwide, is a well-known name from the Midwest to the Atlantic, but has barely touched the Western half of the country. Now, the chain plans to extend its operation coast to coast. Robert Chiu, the co-owner of Diamond Restaurant Management, said he hoped to found as many as 10 sites in the Orange County area in the coming years.

The Costa Mesa location opened Saturday in the Metro Pointe at South Coast shopping center, on the former spot of Sam Woo Seafood and Barbecue Express. As the clock ticked toward opening time at 11 a.m. — the restaurant, which usually opens at 7 a.m., got a late start on its first day — chefs began baking the day’s bread in one of Cosi’s trademarks, an open-flame hearth oven. By the late afternoon, the restaurant was packed with diners.

“The comments we’ve received have been pretty positive,” said Shannon Cobb, the training manager for Diamond. “So I think they’re happy to have us in the area.”