Local Buzz covers new businesses, restaurants, closures, local politics, goings on around town and other buzzworthy items in the Conejo Valley and Greater Ventura County. Have a lead? Contact us. Click here for an archive of Local Buzz postings.
Local Buzz covers new restaurants, closures, local politics, goings on around town and other buzzworthy items in the Conejo Valley and Greater Ventura County. Have a lead? Contact us. Click here for an archive of Local Buzz postings.
Post other items directly to the Community Announcements section of the site.
Office Depot at Moorpark Road and Hillcrest Drive in Thousand Oaks is closing its doors and has commenced a store closing sale. Sadly, this is of no big surprise, as Office Depot has closed hundreds of locations over the last five years as consumers migrate towards online shopping.
In its place will be a Grocery Outlet store. Date TBA.
The City of Santa Paula, in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and Enriched Farms, is excited to announce the installation of a new and unique certified farmers market experience beginning Friday, August 27. The inaugural event will kick off at 3 p.m. with a ribbon cutting ceremony and opening remarks.
The new Santa Paula Certified Farmers Market, which will take place every Friday from 3 to 7 p.m. along East Santa Barbara St. between North 10th St. (Hwy 150) and North Mill St. in front of our historic Train Depot, will showcase locally certified fruits and produce from growers such as Prancers Farm and Espinoza Farm along with shops and food from over thirty vendors. Santa Paulans and visitors alike are encouraged to come out and enjoy all that beautiful Santa Paula has to offer.
Looking for a tasty quick bite or a fun Friday night dinner? Look no further than Santa Paula’s Certified Farmer Market, which is set to feature many restaurants and food businesses. Try something new, such as:
Brothers Products - various hummus flavors, pita bread and pita chips, mediterranean salads and dips
Davilas Pupuseria - featuring delicious pupusas
Keto Sweets LA - baked keto brownies and breads (gluten free and diabetic friendly)
MeGusta Gourmet Tamales and Thai Chicken - award winning tamales
Salsa Acapulco - fresh salsa of various kinds, guacamole and various ceviches
Alongside the delicious local food stalls, attendees will find local businesses and merchants selling their popular and skillfully crafted products. From locally grown flowers from Pattys Farm to 100% locally produced honey from BlueRidge Honey, the Santa Paula Certified Farmers Market is sure to have something for everyone.
To top it all off, the Santa Paula Certified Farmers Market is the only farmers market with a wine and beer tasting section in Ventura County for adults to enjoy! Visitors may shop around for their favorite local products, grab a meal or snack, and then end their Friday night with tastes from local wine, beer and cider makers. In addition, shoppers can enjoy local live musical entertainment from local musicians while winding down the week. The wine and beer tasting area, alongside the delicacies showcased at the market, ensures the Santa Paula Farmers Market will be the perfect place to spend Friday evenings and grab local produce for the weekend.
Draughts Restaurant and Bar at 398 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks, in the Best Buy Shopping Center next to Ross is permanently closed. Draughts operated here since 2010. Before that it was called Stuft Pizza.
Naughty Pine Brewing Co. will be opening soon (possibly September) at 766 Lakefield Road, Unit A in Westlake Village (between Hampshire and Townsgate).
Naughty Pine is a 2,200 sq ft microbrewery and tasting room with an outdoor seating area of 480 sq ft in the Westlake Village Business Park that will focus on classic and contemporary beers, with an emphasis on European-style lagers and ales.
Visit www.naughtypinebrewingco.com for updates.
UPDATE: Honey Cup indicates it will be opening on Thursday, August 26th and will be offering free drip Lavazza coffee the 26th through the 29th, along with samples of some of their baked goods.
Photo courtesy of Grahame W.
Honey Cup Coffeehouse & Creamery is “coming soon” to The Village at Dos Vientos, 360 Via Las Brisas, #160 in Newbury Park. It will be located in the space formerly occupied by BeanoVino (closed in January 2020) and before that, Boney Mountain Coffee Co.
Honey Cup Coffeehouse has operated at the Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard since 2014. They offer coffee, smoothies, their own 805 Creams ice cream and other snacks. Learn more at www.honeycupcoffeehouseca.com.
101 BBQ Hut recently closed its doors at 1610 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard. It originally opened in January 2020.
UPDATE: Makin Vegan opened last weekend. We tried it and it is very good!
Ma-Kin Vegan Sushi will be opening soon in the former Charm Thai restaurant space at 30313 Canwood Street, Agoura Hills (Plaza Reyes Adobe).
Their Instagram page at @makinvegan indicates 100% vegan, plant-based sushi, using mostly organic non-GMO ingredients.
Their page also indicates an August 6th "soft opening" from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 4:30 to 8:30 pm. Check their Instagram page for updates.
NewMark Merrill Companies Inc., a Woodland Hills-based shopping center owner and manager, has seen significant leasing activity at Janss Marketplace, a 458,000 square foot community center located on the Northwest corner of Moorpark Road and Hillcrest Drive in Thousand Oaks.
NewMark Merrill recently announced that it signed Five Below to a 9,850 square foot lease to neighbor the now open ALDI grocery store that replaced a former Toys R Us space that closed due to bankruptcy. Construction for the Five Below location at Janss Marketplace recently began this month and is scheduled to open in October 2021.
This new lease with Five Below continues the momentum at Janss Marketplace. Starbucks opened a brand-new location at Janss Marketplace with a drive-thru at the end of 2020 and Wingstop opened earlier this year in the first quarter of 2021. California Fish Grill signed a lease for 2,975 square feet and opened on July 26th. Additionally, The Mighty Axe, an entertainment destination featuring axe throwing at wood targets in a safe and lively environment, signed a lease for 3,281 square feet and opened this past weekend. Finally, Pieology recently signed a lease for 2,200 square feet and is scheduled to open in early 2022.
NewMark Merrill has recently completed the installation of a mural named Conejo by artist Evan Meyer which was inspired by the rich history and abundant presence the cottontail rabbit has in the region as well as the namesake of the county. Janss Marketplace also saw the return of its signature July 4th community event after being cancelled last year after 20 consecutive years due to COVID. In a sign of the excitement from the City, the event welcomed over 3,000 people to the property to enjoy live entertainment, food, games, including an incredibly competitive pie eating contest and a dynamic and patriotic fireworks show.
“As the COVID crisis comes to an end, we remain dedicated to looking for ways to improve our centers and creating a sense of community with new merchants, art, gathering places, events and capital improvements. Having such significant leasing activity, community engagement, and increased traffic at Janss Marketplace reinforces the narrative that we have always believed, that centers that become part of the community and provided opportunities for people to create lasting memories will succeed no matter the times,” said Sandy Sigal, NewMark Merrill President and Chief Executive Officer. “We continue to see increased traffic at Janss and other centers throughout our portfolio as consumers return to having a sense of community.”
Janss features an outstanding tenant mix of key local, regional, and national retailers including ALDI Grocers, Regal Cinemas, DEFY Extreme Air Sports, Old Navy, Starbucks, Buca di Beppo and Gold’s Gym among other local retailers and merchants. The center's location at the NWC of Moorpark Road and Hillcrest Drive with over 58,000 daily traffic counts in Thousand Oaks with 155,000 people in the trade area makes it one of the most desirable retail locations in Southern California. Thousand Oaks continually ranks as one of the safest U.S. cities for its size by FBI reporting standards. For more information about Janss Marketplace, visit www.janssmarketplace.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JanssMarketplace.
About NewMark Merrill Companies
NewMark Merrill Companies, Inc. owns or manages a portfolio of over 85 shopping centers valued at more than $2 billion. Since 1987, President and Chief Executive Officer Sandy Sigal has led the company of shopping centers representing over 1,800 tenants and 10 million square feet in California, Colorado, and Illinois. The Company has founded and invested heavily in BrightStreet Ventures, its technology company, which is working on leading edge solutions for property owners and merchants to succeed in today’s retail environment. For more information, visit NewMarkMerrill.com.
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