Small’s Smash Club Opens in Dizz’s As Is Space on South Coast Highway

Small’s Smash Club, a Southern California burger restaurant, opened its second location this summer at 2794 S. Pacific Coast Highway, taking over the space long occupied by Dizz’s As Is. Locale Magazine reported the Laguna Beach venue opened in June, adding a casual counter-service option to the south end of town.

Dizz’s As Is closed permanently on March 13, 2026, according to the Orange County Register’s reporting. The restaurant had been operated by the Pitz family for more than 40 years and was known for its eclectic decor and continental menu, with dishes like rack of lamb, surf and turf, and raspberry duck.

Hillside homes in South Laguna, the neighborhood around the former Dizz's As Is building on Coast Highway.

Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · Source

Small’s Smash Club retained the existing bar and liquor license and kept the ocean views that made the building a draw. The menu centers on smash burgers, beef tallow fries and onion rings, paired with a full bar and craft beer and wine offerings, in what the company describes as a casual, energetic setting.

The brand was founded by professional snowboarder Jordan Small, who started it as a backyard operation during the COVID-19 pandemic before opening a first brick-and-mortar location in San Clemente in 2025. The concept built a following through pop-ups and catering at local breweries before committing to permanent rooms.

"Small’s Smash Club proves that burgers can be both fun and serious," Locale Magazine wrote in its roundup of new Orange County restaurants, noting the seared smash patties stacked as singles, doubles or triples, with combos pairing a drink and tallow-fried sides.

Goff Cove in South Laguna, down the coast from the former Dizz's As Is building now home to Small's Smash Club.

Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · Source

The Laguna Beach room runs Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., closed Mondays, according to Locale’s listing.

The handoff is part of a wider reshuffle along the highway. WhatNow noted the opening adds to Laguna Beach’s evolving dining scene alongside other upcoming expansions, including Truly Pizza’s second location, which local real estate write-ups place at 320 N. Coast Highway in the former “3” space next to Urth Caffe. The same accounts report the Heisler Building at 400 S. Coast Highway, vacant since Bodega closed in early 2025, reopened this summer as Noble Ace, a Hollywood-era-inspired room from a chef out of Mastro’s Ocean Club, and the stilt building at 858 S. Coast Highway reopened as Amorelia, a 185-seat Mexico City-leaning restaurant.

The handoff is one of several along the highway this year, as longtime rooms change hands and new operators test what a Laguna dining room looks like in 2026. Here, at least, the water view survived the transition.