
1653 Mt. Diablo Blvd, Walnut Creek
After six years in downtown Walnut Creek, the soul food restaurant Home of Chicken and Waffles has closed. Thanks to everyone for emailing and photos.

1653 Mt. Diablo Blvd, Walnut Creek
After six years in downtown Walnut Creek, the soul food restaurant Home of Chicken and Waffles has closed. Thanks to everyone for emailing and photos.

Props to these Northgate high students in Walnut Creek who started a company and then donated their profits to the Monument Crisis Center in Concord!
From an email:
My name is Miguel Ramos and I am a rising senior at Northgate High School. I am part of a program called Junior Achievement and along with 16 other students from Northgate and other schools in the area, we founded a start-up company called Fleece Bay, a nod to East Bay. We would hold weekly meetings at the AAA at Walnut Creek with guidance from employees of AAA and Junior Achievement. Through preorders, Fleece Bay was able to sell 75 blankets in a span of two weeks earning us a revenue over $2,000. We would spend our weekends manufacturing these blankets and delivering the blankets to our customers. We would then take part in “Junior Achievement’s Company of the Year Competition” against other companies in Northern California. We were awarded with the Best Business Plan Award and came second in the Best Commercial Award. We finally liquidated Fleece Bay in July and in August we donated all of our profits to our local charity, the Monument Crisis Center at Concord.

1273 Locust St, Walnut Creek
It’s been a couple of years since we learned that Take One Pizza would be coming to downtown Walnut Creek next to the Century movie theater and since then quite a lot has changed in the neighborhood as Slice House opened and Pizza My Heart opened in place of Project Pie. Check out their menu here.

Broadway Plaza, Walnut Creek
b8ta, a store featuring new tech products, think Makers Market for the tech world, is coming to Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek according to this article from Mercury News. Check out their offerings here. The product line reminds me a bit of Sharper Image which used to be at Broadway Plaza several years ago.

1632 N. Main St, Walnut Creek
The Persian bakery Haleh Pastry which opened last year and closed earlier this year is being replaced with a restaurant called Ikoi. Details are scant but I’m hoping for a Japanese restaurant. This does mean that Rinehart’s jewelry clock is due for an update. How about SUSHI? TONKATSU?

Broadway Plaza, Walnut Creek
It looks like Broadway Plaza may be getting a huge new gym in the remaining spot available across from Macy’s as Minnesota-based Life Time Fitness is in advanced talks with the owner of Broadway Plaza to come to the Bay Area. One source has indicated the likely spot if this does go through to be in Broadway Plaza. Check out their offerings including yoga, indoor cycling, kickboxing, pilates and more here. Stay tuned…

Orchards Shopping Center, Walnut Creek
Thanks to everyone for sending word and photos that San Diego-based Mike Hess Brewing is coming to the Orchards shopping center in Walnut Creek. It turns out that Mike Hess is a Northgate High graduate so I can see how they decided to open in this spot. Check out this Brewbound article for more information on Mike Hess Brewing, check out their beer selection here and find out more about their brewery here.
From their website:
As the city’s first production nano-brewery – and its 33rd brewery – opening in summer in 2010, Mike Hess Brewing quickly built a solid reputation for great beers and a unique brewery and tasting room experience. After outgrowing Miramar’s production, Mike, his wife Lynda and his brother Greg launched the North Park brewery, welcoming our first visitors in August of 2013 after 18 months of construction. The OB location, located just blocks from Dog Beach, opened in November of 2015.
Our tasting rooms are family and pet friendly, and are staffed by some of the best beertenders in the industry. Whether a beer geek or novice, our friendly staff will make you feel right at home and happily walk you through our lineup of truly hand-crafted, well thought out beers. We offer tasting flights, beer by the glass as well as packaged beer – bottles and cans – or a 32 oz canned “Purrowler” of any draft beer to take beer home with you if you like.
The Ruth Bancroft Garden
1552 Bancroft Rd, Walnut Creek
Saturday, August 12th, 2017
5:00 – 8:00pm | $25 ($20 members)Join us to close out Sculpture in the Garden at this fun evening event. We’ll be channeling a little Southwest Louisiana! The Creole Belles with Andrew Carrière will keep us dancing with traditional Cajun and Creole dance music.
Music: Creole Belles with Andrew Carrière
Food truck: United Bites
Beer: TBD
Wine: Parmeson WineAdvance purchase strongly recommended.
Food and drinks sold separately

Orchards Shopping Center, Walnut Creek
Thanks to a reader for sending word and photo that Pancheros Mexican Grill, which opened late last year in the new Orchards shopping center in Walnut Creek, has closed. I believe this is the first store to close in the new shopping center. Word on the street is that an Indian restaurant may be opening here. Stay tuned…
