How One Working Mom Is Turning SoCal Beaches Into a Bold Hospitality Frontier
On most mornings, Huntington Beach is a slow burn. Sunlight hits the surf as early risers shake off sand from towels and baristas start pulling espresso shots a block inland. But just steps from the boardwalk, something else is happening. Speakers hum to life. A line forms by a taco window. Someone’s setting up for a concert. And that energy? You can trace it straight back to Alicia Cox.
If you think “beach concessions” still means soggy nachos and lukewarm soda, you haven’t met Cox. She doesn’t just run restaurants. She transforms public beaches into fully immersive hospitality experiences that pair smart food concepts with live music, lifestyle events and community programs. As the founder of Prjkt Group, Cox has turned four Orange County state beach locations into distinct culinary destinations, each with its own personality, playlist and pulse.
Before all of this, Cox’s world was built on branding and buzz. As the marketing director for OC Weekly, she lived in the trenches of local culture. Her days were spent crafting events, selling stories and learning what grabs attention in a media-saturated world. She saw firsthand what moves people, and, more importantly, what doesn’t. This foundation in storytelling shaped everything that came next.
She spent three years in Las Vegas, immersing herself in the city’s larger-than-life hospitality scene. There, she learned how to turn a space into an experience. Vegas wasn’t about function; it was about fantasy. And Cox took notes. It wasn’t just the glittering lights and velvet ropes that stuck with her. It was the strategy behind it all. Build for women, and the men will come. Make every corner feel intentional. Celebrate the guest, and they’ll celebrate you back…