In March I noted that See’s Candies was opening a new location in the Lafayette Plaza shopping center where Whole Foods is located and the signage is now up.
In March I noted that See’s Candies was opening a new location in the Lafayette Plaza shopping center where Whole Foods is located and the signage is now up.
Just last week I noted that The Art of Shaving was getting remodeled in Broadway Plaza in downtown Walnut Creek and they have now reopened. It looks like they went from pale yellow wall colors to deep wood paneling with lighted shelving to highlight the razors and accessories as well as various other changes. The Art of Shaving is located right near the fountain a few stores away from the Lacoste boutique.
Check out an inside shot below:
Back in February I noted that the upscale baby store Giggle was closing in a prime downtown Walnut Creek location on N. Main St. and now it looks like the mattress store Manicini’s Sleepworld located a few blocks away on Locust St. will be moving to this new location and plan to open by June 1st.
The spacious interior of this spot features exposed brick walls throughout which should nicely highlight the mattresses for sale although I thought this would be a great location for a women’s clothing store.
The current Mancini’s Sleepworld location on Locust St. will be closing soon:
Manicini’s Sleepworld will be located at 1359 N. Main St. in Walnut Creek.
Less than two weeks ago I warned people to stock up on British food items at the Walnut Creek Fresh & Easy and now it’s certain. Parent company Tesco, located in England, will close or sell all Fresh & Easy stores in the United States.
From the Daily Mail article:
Profits at Tesco slumped by 51 per cent last year as it wrote off £1.2billion on a failed attempt to conquer the United States.
The fall in pretax profits – down by £2billion to £1.96billion – was its first in 20 years.
It is to close or sell its Fresh & Easy convenience store chain in the US in what is an ignominious failure for Britain’s biggest retailer.
So given that it’s going away eventually, what supermarket would you like to see in this location? Trader Joe’s is already located at nearby Treat and Oak Grove. Safeway is even closer.
Last month I noted that the restaurant Cooperage Bar and Grill would be expanding into the children’s bookstore Storyteller in downtown Lafayette but don’t fret as Storyteller has reopened in Lafayette in the Whole Foods plaza behind Peet’s Coffee and Tea. As the sign below notes, they hold puppet shows on Saturdays at 10am.
Last week I pointed out that the piano store Sherman Clay was closing in downtown Walnut Creek. Here’s an interesting article about what’s going on from the SF Chronicle.
From the article:
Now this is the end of the line. Sherman Clay is selling its San Francisco and Walnut Creek stores to Steinway & Sons, the piano manufacturer. Sherman Clay’s Sacramento-area store in Roseville, in Placer County, will be closed, and so will its Santa Clara store. The future of the company’s two other stores, in Houston and Seattle, is in doubt.
Music Exchange on N. Main St. is the last remaining piano shop in downtown Walnut Creek.
A few weeks ago I noted that a collectible bookstore would be opening in downtown Walnut Creek and now I have learned that Swan’s Fine Books will be opening at 1381 Locust St, a couple of stores behind The Kitchen Table store. They will offer first editions from well-known authors such as Mark Twain and Ernest Hemingway as well as more affordable copies available at most price points. In addition a children’s section will provide an entertaining outlet for kids. They will be having a grand opening on May 1st from 3 – 6pm so if you’re a book lover you’ll definitely want to drop by and check them out.
From their soon to be online website:
Swan’s Fine Books is dedicated to bringing to you volumes which, each in their own way, are treasures. We offer first editions from many authors, including classic authors such as Charles Dickens and Mark Twain and modern authors such as Ernest Hemingway, Jack London, John Steinbeck, Upton Sinclair and George Orwell. We have many volumes signed by authors and offer wide selection of quality used books on a variety of general interest subjects.
We also have treasures from the past, for example, a French Dictionary printed in 1694 and a collection of Alexander Pope’s works printed in the late 18th century. Vintage paperbacks and Vintage Movie Posters will also be available.
Our desire is to allow you to both find that treasured book you’ve longed for, as well as to experience the wonder and delight at finding a new author or book you never knew was out there: to fall in love all over again and experience the reader’s wonder and delight.
Whether you are a collector, a fellow book-lover, or are looking for a special gift, either for yourself or a friend, Swan’s Fine Books can assist. If you are looking to downsize your library of fine books, please call; we pride ourselves on offering fair prices, higher than the market, for quality used books we feel will be welcomed by our other clients.
Back in January I noted that Paper Source would be opening in April in Walnut Creek and now there is a sign on the door noting that it will be opening this Friday, April 19th. Paper Source is located at 1567 Botelho Dr. around the corner from Tuesday Morning and across the street from the Container Store.
Check out the inside:
Looks like a great spot for stationery:
The Art of Shaving is closed according to a sign blocking every window and door in the Broadway Plaza location in Walnut Creek. It says, “New Look Coming Soon”, I wonder what they’re planning. Note the lockbox on the door handle, this may take a while.
Last May I noted the opening of the “cookies and confection” store Plumeria Flours on Newell Avenue (located in the back of the strip mall where Pacific Bay Coffee and George’s Giant Hamburgers are located). Recently I finally had a chance to drop by while they were open and thought the store design was really interesting. Check out the photos below to see what it looks like on the inside.
As for the food, I tried the popcorn which is baked, unlike most other popcorn stores, a square cupcake as well as purchasing some chocolate covered oreo cookies for a gift. Everything tasted great but the chocolate covered oreo not only tasted amazing, it’s quite a unique gift. Just by looking at it looks like a nicely decorated chocolate dessert which is nice by itself, but once people realized it’s actually a chocolate covered oreo they couldn’t believe it. Not one person had ever heard of that before. And everyone loved them.
Check out their website here. The owners told me they are looking to get a stand at the Walnut Creek farmers market once space becomes available. I hope they get one so I can try some chocolate pop rocks.
Check out more photos of the inside after the jump…