The Hello Tiara boutique recently opened in the Orinda Theatre Square next to Barbacoa. This is where the art gallery aMFa used to be which has since moved to another location within the Orinda Theatre Square. Based on the note below it looks like they are going to focus on jewelry and accessories.
The opening of ice cream parlor Lottie’s Creamery in downtown Walnut Creek has been long anticipated and the moment has finally arrived. Lottie’s Creamery is having a soft opening (with limited hours) this Thursday, February 21st. According to their website the following flavors will be available during the opening:
I’m going to try my usual chocolate followed by Peanut Butter Chocolate-Peanut when I go. What flavor do you want to try?
According to the owner most if not all of the above flavors should be available on Thursday, with the complete list available shortly. The dairy is organic and eggs are cage free. However, what really sets Lottie’s apart from other ice cream shops is the in-house pasteurizer that will be used to make the ice cream. I was able to get some preview photos of the inside so take a look:
Check out more photos of the inside including the pasteurizer after the jump…
Back last August I noted the opening of Tulip in Lafayette and it looks like the baby and kids boutique has closed. The past week the store has been papered over and there is now a shut sign in front. I hope this is a temporary shutdown and they’ll reopen soon. Otherwise it’ll join the closure of nearby children stores Giggle and The Right Start.
Last November I noted that the women’s fashion boutique Francesca’s was opening up in downtown Lafayette and this evening at 5pm will be the soft opening followed by the grand opening tomorrow at 10am on Saturday, February 16th. Located right next to men’s clothing store Venture in the Lafayette Clocktower (along with Patxi’s Pizzeria), Francesca’s will complement the area nicely. They have over 300 stores around the country including locations at the Stoneridge Mall and Bay Street in Emeryville. You can see their online apparel here.
I was able to get a sneak preview of the inside of the store recently and it looks great.
Check out photos of the inside after the jump…
Last November I pointed out that the baby store The Right Start was closing in Walnut Creek and now the colorful baby store Giggle, located in the heart of downtown Walnut Creek, will be closing by the end the month. In addition to the Walnut Creek closure, the Corte Madera store will also close. Apparently the opening of the baby store Buy Buy Baby, owned by Bed Bath & Beyond in Pleasant Hill a couple of years ago siphoned a lot of business from baby stores.
There’s not much stock remaining but strollers and car seats are 30% off and everything else is 50% off so check out Giggle while you can. Thanks to a reader for the tip!
Giggle’s colorful awning and window displays made downtown Walnut Creek a brighter place so this is disappointing news that they will shut their doors.
It’s official, Zachary’s Chicago Pizza has opened in Pleasant Hill right across the street from the Cinemark movie theater on Crescent Drive. They offer both Chicago style stuffed pizza as well as thin pizza. Check out their menu here. In addition to pizza they also have salads. Lunch slices will be offered beginning March 1st. Remember that a stuffed pizza can take 40 minutes to make so you should order while you’re waiting. They give you a pager that will page you twice. Once so you can place your order and get the estimated wait time, and a second time when you can sit down and order drinks and salads until the pizza comes.
The inside is very cool looking:
More photos of pizza closeups and the patio after the jump…
In business for 32 years, the owners of Clarissa Bridal Salon in Walnut Creek next to the Pacific Bay Coffee Company on N. Main St. have retired after 32 years in business. Thanks to a reader for the tip!
If you’re looking for bridal dresses check out Flares Bridal which recently expanded in Broadway Plaza a stone’s throw away. Also, La Soie Bridal will eventually open in downtown Walnut Creek at the corner of Broadway and Cypress once the new building is completed.
First the Habit Burger Grill, then Freebirds World Burrito, and now Subway has opened up in the Sprouts Shopping Center in Walnut Creek at Geary and N. Main St. The only remaining place to open is Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf which unfortunately seems to be delayed as it was completely bare when I peeked inside recently.
I have to add my usual rant about parking. If you want to get a feeling what parking in Manhattan is like, try parking at the Sprouts Shopping Center on a weekend during lunchtime. I must have drove around five times without any luck. As usual I parked down the block and walked back.
A few weeks ago I noted that 24 Hour Fitness would be opening in Walnut Creek on January 26th and I had a chance to check it out recently. In additon to a basketball court, lap pool, etc they offer classes such as BodyPump, NIKE Training Club and Zumba. Check out their class schedule here. The locker rooms include lockers that accept padlocks as well as ones that include embedded locks that can be programmed with a custom number code which is convenient. Overall this cool looking gym offers a lot to do with plenty of equipment and activities available. Parking can get tight at times since it’s so popular. Does anyone work out here? How is it?
The second floor offers a huge number of treadmills overlooking the first floor below:
Check out the basketball court, lap pool and more photos after the jump:
A couple of weeks ago I posted some scuttlebutt about a McCormick and Schmick’s opening a new restaurant at the former Petar’s location in downtown Lafayette and it turns out that was pretty close as the son of the McCormick & Schmick’s co-founder, Andrew McCormick, who ran the Marina bar City Tavern will be opening The Cooperage Bar in its place. Diablo Dish notes that, “the space will require an extensive remodel, so McCormick is aiming for a late summer, early fall opening.” According to the post, dishes will, “feature familiar, classic dishes such as oysters Rockefeller, potato skins, crab Louis salad, and plenty of steak and seafood.”