With locations across California and the US, massive wine, beer, and spirits retailer Total Wine & More is opening a store in Santa Monica. An ABC license recently went up on the chain mail fence surrounding the old Jo-Ann Fabric building at 1637 Lincoln Blvd., near the corner of Colorado. It looks like they’ve got a way to go before it opens, but until then, read more about the expanding chain here.
Recently I noticed a small pending development permit taped to the front of the building that used to house eclectic design bookshop Hennessey + Ingalls at 214 Wilshire Blvd in Downtown Santa Monica. If you look carefully at the notice, you can see that the space is being redesigned to change use from a retail space into a full service restaurant. And what will be the name of the new eatery, that will be sandwiched between Hillstone and California Pizza Kitchen? The permit lists the applicant as Santa Monica Farmhouse. There doesn’t seem to be a great deal of information out there yet, just some details of the trademark, but I’ll keep watching.
It wasn’t that long ago that Piknic Restaurant, at 13020 Pacific Promenade in Playa Vista was one of the few eateries in the massive developments along Jefferson Blvd. Now, with The Runway just up the road, you’re spoiled for choice. So the good folks at Piknic have decided to up their game. They recently closed down for a little nip and tuck and they will be relaunching on Monday as Gulp Playa Vista. In addition to a few changes to their look, they will offer 36 tap beers and a redesigned menu that focuses on small and sharable plates intended to accompany the new brews, or so I’m told.
For some indeterminable reason, a great many of you have been fascinated with the leaden progress of the two westernmost outlets of “best boba alive” chain Honey Boba. I haven’t the faintest why it takes them so very long to open: The LA branch at 11573 W. Santa Monica Blvd. has been sitting idle since 2014. But there’s been a glimmer of hope… Hawthorne’s cheerful branch of Honey Boba has now opened in the Glen Court shopping center at 5267 Rosecrans Ave. Read more about them and find other locations here.
It was only back in 2012 when I first noticed that a new frozen treat shop was going into the space at 11753 San Vicente Blvd, near Whole Foods. Sweet Crush Ice Bar opened that year and has been doling out Asian shaved ice ever since… until recently. Sadly, they have closed, leaving this hopeful message taped to their erstwhile front door promising us that they are not gone for good.
It looks like there’s yet another change in the capricious food scene of the Westfield Century City Shopping Center. Seiki-Shi Sushi has closed up shop and vacated their center food court space. No word on what may be replacing it.
Back in November of last year, I noticed that a branch of “fast fire’d” build-your-own pizza restaurant Blaze Pizza was moving into the spot that used to house Qdoba at 5221 Rosecrans Ave. in Hawthorne (just to the west of the 405). Well, Blaze will throw open its doors today (Thursday March 3rd). And to top it off, on Friday (March 4th), if you follow them on social media, you get a free pizza from 11am until 10pm.
Almost two years ago, I told you about the proposed renovation of the dusty old food court at 1315 Third Street Promenade. Well, it has taken them long enough, but the flashy new Gallery food hall is now open. But don’t get yours hope up yet. Only McDonald’s has reopened and Subway is expected to soon as well, but other than that, nothing else has moved in yet.
It’s been a week of juice news. I recently noticed that Santa Monica’s branch of healthy drink provider Orchard Flats Cold Pressed Juicery has closed its doors at 705 Montana Ave. And their other locations in Burbank, Studio City, La Canada Flintridge, and on Melrose have closed as well, according to Yelp. So it looks like this is the end of yet another juice shop. Could this be a trend? Hmmm…
In more juice news… It was only last year that I noticed that “never conventional” juice company Juice Served Here was heading to the Westfield Century City Shopping Center. After pouring healthy libations from their diminutive first floor location in the center of the mall for a little under a year, JSH has moved to a flashy new prominent location in the food court. The move was probably due to the fact that most of the mall has now closed in order to make way for the glitzy new 2.0 version of the popular shopping destination arriving sometime next year.
The space at 368 N. Camden in Beverly Hills can’t seem to hold on to a tenant. The latest casualty was the US’s promising first branch of Canadian smoothie and juice company Liquid Nutrition, which opened in November of 2014. I’ll keep my eye on the space to see who will be the next to roll the dice…
Recently, I told you about the closure of longtime resident Euro Caffe at 9559 S. Santa Monica Blvd. in Beverly Hills. An ABC application posted on the front door indicates that the replacement restaurant will be a suspiciously similar-named Oro Caffe, about which I can find little information. But as it turns out, there’s more to the story. Euro Caffe isn’t riding off into the sunset. It appears to be relocating to The Courtyard at 427 N. Canon Dr. I’ll keep watching both locations for more news…
Sadly, I’ve yet another closure to report. Purveyor of sugary treats Beverly Hills Brownie Company has iced its last blondie at 315 N. Beverly Dr. in Beverly Hills. The for lease sign in the window indicates that they haven’t lined up a new tenant quite yet.
It looks like a sleek new coffee purveyor is coming soon to the space at 100-A S. Santa Monica Blvd. in Beverly Hills. The papered-over windows inform us that the new coffee shop will be an outpost of La Colombe Coffee Roasters. Originally hailing from Philadelphia and founded by Todd Carmichael and Jean Philippe Iberti, La Colombe has been spreading its message that “America deserves better coffee” across the East Coast and Chicago areas for 20 years. Read more about the philanthropic and committed company here.
2016 is turning out to be a rough year for restaurant closures. The latest? While there’s no hard evidence except a disconnected phone line, it appears obvious that one of Santa Monica’s long-standing fixtures, George’s Bistro has unceremoniously closed its doors at 1321 Third Street Promenade. The windows are papered over and the furniture has been removed. There’s no word on a replacement, but I’ll keep watch.
It looks like after 21 years of supplying the good folks of Beverly Hills with carbohydrates and cleverly flavored cream cheeses, St. Urbain Street Bagels has closed its doors at 451 N. Beverly Dr. A sad note taped to the front door thanks customers for support and reminds them that they have another location on W. Olympic Blvd. Windows are papered over, but there’s no indication of what may be replacing it so I’ll keep watching.
On a tip from a reader (thanks DS!) I went to check out what was going on in the old La Cachette Bistro space at 1733 Ocean Ave. in Santa Monica. An ABC application posted in the window informs us that the space, which has long sat vacant, will soon be inhabited by a branch of Jimmy’s Famous American Tavern. It looks like they’ve got a way to go and there’s no word on an opening date, but until then, you can read more about the mini-chain here.
I don’t know what is going on with that particular block of Beverly Hills, but this is the third restaurant closure in recent months. It appears that long-time resident Euro Caffe, at 9559 S. Santa Monica Blvd. has closed its doors. The place is gutted and the windows are papered over. And while there’s no indication anywhere that it actually has closed (not even Yelp users have reported it closed yet), the “for lease” sign in the window is a fairly good indication that it ain’t coming back…
It looks like a brand new free-standing branch of hometown coffee chain Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is being built on the corner of Overland and National Blvd. in Palms. And it looks like there’s still room on the southeast corner lot to accommodate another restaurant as well. As always, I’ll keep my eye on it…
Back in 2013, I noticed a new yogurt shop had opened on Bedford Dr. in Beverly Hills. Since then, Go Greek Yogurteria has opened two more locations and has two more on the way. One is coming to Corona Del Mar, and the other is set to land in Santa Monica. Signs are up in the window of what must be a very choice location at 1431 Ocean Ave. (in the Pacific Plaza building) indicating that creamy treat shop is on the way. Go Greek offers a menu of frozen and fresh Greek yogurt with toppings or in combination bowls that you can read more about here.
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