Surf's up in Plano with a fun new venue coming soon: Called Coco Beach, it's a tiki-themed bar and restaurant diving into historic Downtown Plano, with an opening targeted for December.

It's located at 1032 E. 15th St., in what was most recently a closed location of the Zalat Pizza chain but was at one time the Queen of Hearts magic shop at the corner of Avenue K.

Coco Beach is from Jacqulyn Hrna, an enthusiastic entrepreneur with experience in both the real estate and bar industries, who wanted to open something that celebrates her love for the beach.

"When I saw that building on the corner, I jumped in and said, 'I'm going for my beach bar'," she says. "I'm a beach girl, I was born in California, and my family was from Florida. We go to the beach every year, on the 4th of July — we go to Destin Beach, which forms the centerpiece of a big mural we've put in the restaurant."

The space has a full kitchen so they'll serve food as well as drink.

"My thought process is to start off with a limited menu — a half dozen appetizers, a handful of entrees, some desserts — and then add more items after we're sure we can execute it well," she says.

"For the bar, we'll definitely have frozen drinks including our signature pina colada, the Coco Colada," she says. "We'll also have a draft system, one that includes a mixed drink like mai tais on tap, with the idea to mix it up according to the season."

They'll keep late-night hours, too.

"We'll be open from 11 am-2 am, and eventually try to do breakfast, with early football games," she says. "We're putting in a bunch of 55-inch TVs to show as many games as we can."

The most distinctive decorative element will surely be the two thatched tiki huts they're installing on the front corners of the building, making this bar extra easy to find.

Beyond her beach crush, Coco Beach also serves as a tribute to a bar legend who passed away in 2021.

"In my 20s, I worked for Clark Boeken, a well-known operator, and learned so much about how to run a bar," she says. "He opened many bars in his lifetime, including a bar in San Antonio called Coco Beach — I think he would be honored."