Eateries That Opened in the First Half of 2023 and are Coming Soon to the Conejo Valley and Greater Ventura County

We’re mid-way through 2023 and have already seen several new dozen new eateries opening in the Conejo Valley and nearby areas, with another several dozen working to open in the coming months. See the list below.

New Eateries That Opened in the First Half of 2023

• Schatzi Smoothies opened at Whizin Market Square Agoura in January

• Culichi Town Mexican Cuisine opened in Camarillo

• Denino’s Pizzeria & Tavern Thousand Oaks opened in April

• Wood Ranch BBQ opened in April at The Oaks mall

• El Sancho Loco Taqueria y Cantina opened last month in Westlake Village

• Amy’s Drive Thru Thousand Oaks opened June 15th

• Finney’s Crafthouse opened at the Camarillo Premium Outlets January 30th

• Mirchi Indian Cuisine opened in Newbury Park on March 25th

• Kalaveras Mexican Cuisine now open in Simi Valley

• Crumbl Cookies Newbury Park opened in mid-May

• Freda’s Woodfired Kitchen opened in Westlake Village 12/31

• Jugo Organic Eatery opened mid-May in the Oakbrook Plaza Thousand Oaks

• 101 BBQ Hut opened at The Shoppes at Westlake Village

• Vegan Thyme Plant-Based Eatery Newbury Park moved to larger location

• Board & Brew Westlake Village opened on May 12th

• Tiki Taco at the Best Buy Plaza in Thousand Oaks opened April 14th

• Pizza Twist opened last month in the Conejo Gateway Plazaa in Newbury Park

• Rambo’s Hot Chicken opened June 23 at the Simi Valley Town Center

• Sweetfin Poke opened June 2nd at The Promenade at Westlake

• Charcoal Niku opened in Oak Park in April

• Round Table Pizza Thousand Oaks became Manny’s Pizza

• La La Land Kind Cafe opened at The Commons at Calabasas

• Modern Kitchen opened at The Shoppes at Westlake on April 12th

• Magma Modern Italian Pizzeria opened in the Moorpark Marketplace in Feb

• A Tea Thing Boba Tea House opened at The Shoppes at Westlake

• Urban Taco opened at Centre Court Shopping Center in Simi Valley in Feb

• Reynalda Cucina & Amor opened in Thousand Oaks in January

• Hot Motha Clucker Thousand Oaks opened in late June

Eateries That Anticipate Opening Soon

• Selvin’s Restaurant & Lounge at the Palm Garden Hotel Newbury Park

• Bad Ass Tacos to open 2nd Thousand Oaks location

• Mad Era Brewing Co. Simi Valley has been working on opening since July 2018

• Slice House by Tony Gemignani Thousand Oaks opening very soon

• Michoacan a Pedir de Boca Ice Cream Shop coming to Thousand Oaks

• Buster’s OG BBQ & Grill opening soon in Thousand Oaks

• Crawford’s Social coming to Westlake Plaza

• RED O Restaurant - Taste of Mexico coming to The Promenade at Westlake

• The former Corrigan’s Steakhouse still undergoing construction

• Blue Agave Tacos & Beer coming soo to the Agoura Hills City Mall

• Kansui Ramen coming to former Maru Kitchen location at the Westlake Plaza

• Hoshi Ramen coming soon to Park Plaza Shopping Center in Newbury Park

• Cork & Batter Roadhouse coming soon to Simi Valley

• Cafe Ficelle coming soon to Thousand Oaks

• La Princiere French Bakery, Patisserie and Cafe coming to Thousand Oaks

• Bree’s Cakes opened April 29th at the Simi Valley Town Center

• JOiBirds Cafe, Basta and Go Fish Sushi coming to Santal Thousand Oaks

• Angry Chickz Nashville Hot Chicken coming soon to Thousand Oaks

• California Bun coming this summer to Tuscany Square in Moorpark

• Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse coming to The Lakes at Thousand Oaks

• The Kebab Shop coming “soonish” to the Northgate Plaza in Thousand Oaks

• Drive-Thru Dunkin’ Donuts coming to Conejo Gateway Plaza Newbury Park

Eateries That Closed in the First Half of 2023

• Julio’s Agave Grill closed its doors July 1st (close enough to first half of 2023)

• Sage Vegan Bistro Agoura Hills closed on June 24th

• Veggie Grill Thousand Oaks closed its doors in May

• Round Table Pizza became Manny’s Pizza Thousand Oaks (named after owner)

• Bandits Grill and Bar Camarillo closed its doors on March 1st

• The Gallery Restaurant Westlake Village Closed on February 25th

• Islands Agoura Agoura Hills closed in February

  NEW EATERIES AND CLOSED EATERIES IN 2022

Powerline Trail to Edison Road to Conejo Mountain Peak in Newbury Park

View of Boney Mountain range from midway up the Powerline Trail in Newbury Park.

While you're driving down the Conejo Grade from the Conejo Valley towards Camarillo, you may wonder what that mountain is south of the 101.  This would be the 1,814 foot tall Conejo Mountain.

So how do you get up there? 

There are no "official" marked trails to the peak of Conejo Mountain, but there are unofficial ways to get up there. One way that I'm aware of us via the Powerline Trail to Edison Road Trail in the Dos Vientos section of Newbury Park. 

Get to the Powerline Trail trailhead located on Via Ricardo, west of Via Pisa. Park on the street. Or for added trail mileage, park at Dos Vientos Community Park and take the short (1/2 mile) Park View Trail until it ends at Via Ricardo, where you'll see a crosswalk to the Powerline Trail on the other side.

Follow the Powerline Trail on a single to double tract trail until it reaches the much wider Edison Conejo Mountain Road, marked by sets of power line transmission towers.

It is amazing how quiet it can get back here. This trail is a bit on the long, steep side and the mountain can get quite brown and barren. But the rock formations are pretty cool, and get more interesting the higher you climb. And the views are outstanding, from Boney Mountain to the south to the Channel Islands and Oxnard Plain to the west and Thousand Oaks to the east.

You will be passing by this anxiety-causing sign on the way up. Not to worry. Just a warning.

Now, pay attention, To find the path to the top of Conejo Mountain, count the pairs of transmission towers that you pass. The unmarked path is just above the 4th set of transmission towers, which is roughly two miles from the trailhead.

When I went, there was fairly large arrow formed with rocks that pointed in the direction of the path. Although it is not an official trail, you can kind of make out the path that has been cleared by hikers over the years. And there are some sections where it appears the path has been aligned by rocks.

In any case, although it looks difficult, it actually isn't that bad, as long as you take your time and watch your step. When you reach the top, you will have a clear birds eye view of the 101 on the other side.of the mountain.

When it greens up after the winter storms, it sure looks a lot prettier up here.

A clear view of Highway 101 from the peak of Conejo Mountain.

Clear, unimpeded views of Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands from up here.

Pick Your Own Produce at Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark

For a fun, inexpensive local family activity, stop by Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark for some "Pick Your Own" fun. Open most of the year, weather and farm conditions permitting. They've got everything from avocados, beans, beets, blackberries, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, onions, cucumbers, on through spinach, squash and tomatoes, depending on time of year.

Underwood offers pull wagons, bags and containers for you to stash your haul. Then of course you pay for it. And if you can't find what you want in the fields, they may have it in their Farm Market.

• Weekday Admission: $7 (as of June 2023)

• Weekend and Holiday Admission: $10 (as of June 2023) (subject to change during spring, fall and Christmas festivals)

• Children under 2 and parking free.

• Wagon rides included with admission.

• Seniors (65+), Military, Veterans and 1st Responders w/ID get $2 off.

Learn more at underwoodfamilyfarms.com/pick-your-own.

Throwback Moment: Price-Costco Store Opened in Westlake Village in August 1996

Costco Westlake Village seen from the North Ranch Open Space

Let’s face it…the Westlake Village Costco is one of the most popular places to go in the Conejo Valley. Always teeming with shoppers and sample hunters, it seems the local community would be lost without this store.

Let’s go back in time to when it opened…

The store opened its doors as PriceCostco on Thursday, August 8, 1996 at 5700 Lindero Canyon Road. Price-Costco was formed in 1993 with the merger of Price Club (which opened its first location on July 12, 1976 in San Diego) and Costco (which opened its first warehouse in Seattle on September 15, 1983).

One of my guilty pleasures…the $1.50 Costco Hot Dog and Soda deal.

Who remembers PriceCostco? The merger between the two companies took place in 1993. Price Club was being pursued by Walmart to merge with the Sam’s Club warehouse store chain. Price opted to merge with Costco instead. And wallah…PriceCostco was created. At the time, there were 206 locations. As of August 2022, there are 838 Costco locations worldwide.

The prior management team from Price Club, the Price brothers, left the company in 1994 and in 1997, “Price” was dropped from the name and it became Costco.

According to a 1/4/96 VC Star article, PriceCostco purchased the 30 acre site at Lindero Canyon Road and Westlake Boulevard in Westlake Village for $9.3 million, with plans for a 136,000 sq ft Price Club.

Local residents were against the addition of the warehouse club to the community. City Council approved the project as it was allowed as part of a long-term commercial development agreement in place with owners of the property. However, the city stipulated approval was required for specifics like exterior color scheme, roofing materials in earth tone colors, etc.

Flashback to 2009: There were high hopes for a 2nd Conejo Valley Costco location in Newbury Park at the corner of Grande Vista Drive and Academy Drive. But according to a T.O. Acorn article on 1/29/09, Costco could not make the project economically feasible as it was “unable to finalize a lease for the site.”

It is clear that Costco prefers to own its land and buildings, not lease them. In Costco’s annual Form 10-K filing for the fiscal year ended August 29, 2021, fully 79% of its 815 warehouses around the world were owned; the remaining 19% were leased.

Lowe’s and LA Fitness were able to work a deal with owners of the property in Newbury Park and the City of Thousand Oaks Planning Commission approved the project to build locations there at a meeting on 12/13/10. Lowe’s Newbury Park opened on July 4, 2019.

Conejo Valley Guide Social Media Followers Say What They Enjoy the Most About the Conejo Valley

As part of a drawing for passes to the upcoming Conejo Valley Days event in Thousand Oaks, we asked Conejo Valley Guide Facebook and Instagram followers to tell us what they enjoy the most about living here in the Conejo Valley. Here’s a compilation of just a small sampling of their responses. Recurring themes - our open space and trails and sense of community.

I enjoy most the variety of places to eat and places to be outside in nature!

I love our beautiful hillsides and the wonderful local dining spots we’ve got.

I love the openness (when compared with the density of much of LA), the ease of parking almost anywhere, and all of the beautiful hiking trails!

The beautiful trees and rolling hills! So great for hiking and walking

Open space to enjoy year round thanks to always perfect weather & the overall safe feeling of the community.

The beautiful hiking trails and amazing school district.

I love the different types on nature we get to enjoy. Hiking through the hills, the beach, the (occasionally snow capped) mountains, visiting farms and seeing beautiful sunsets. So much beauty.

I love the wonderful people that live here, and all of the beauty that surrounds us!

We love the Conejo valley for its family atmosphere and beautiful open spaces. Also a bonus is that we are not too far from the ocean or LA.

Love the sense of commitment that exists here! Great place to raise families!

We have amazing community events and beautiful hiking trails.

Love all the nature around, it’s been preserved so well and still have so many fun things to do. Love the hikes and beautiful parks!

I love how close to nature we are here, how beautiful our town is.

I love how family friendly this town is!

The thing myself and my family loves most about the Conejo valley is how beautiful, safe and close knit it is. We wouldn’t want to live anywhere else!

Look around us! It's beautiful here!! Clean and peaceful.

The view of Boney! We’re so lucky to live in this gorgeous town.

I love the parks, the scenery, the amazing people, the kind neighbors, the rich sense of community and support for each other, so family friendly and dog friendly, and it feels safe.

The sense of community.

Hiking and making memories with my family at all the wonderful spots CV has to offer.

So many parks to choose from for my kids and the trails are great for hiking and running!

It’s a great dog friendly community!

One thing I love most about the Conejo Valley, is all the backroads that can be taken instead of the 23 or 101. And when it’s really quiet out, going for drives that go through hillsides where there isn’t a lot of traffic and noise, being able to look at everything from above. It really calms me down even when I’m just commuting.

We love the weather, the strong sense of community and how safe it is!

Love still having a small town feel with a lot of local owned business to support!

The parks for the kids.

I love that Conejo Valley is full of beautiful, relaxing scenery and outdoor activities like hiking, rock climbing, horseback riding, and more!

¡Me gusta los conejos!

Too many things to list!! Oak trees, hills, trails, parks, restaurants!! They are all my favorites.

I love the natural beauty that surrounds us, as well as the kind, wonderful community of people!

I love the clean air and beautiful people.

I love all the access to trails for hiking and running.

We just moved out here about a year ago and I still just get can’t over how beautiful it is. I love all the pretty flowers, trees, and Boney Mountain!

I love the Conejo Valley mostly because of its location, close proximity to beaches, city, and of course its natural beauty.

Kind neighbors.

The Conejo Valley has the best concerts in the park, hiking trails, breweries and so much more! I love it here!

How we are in a sweet spot where we can enjoy both the peacefulness but also enjoy knowing we're not far from the beach or LA.

What I enjoy the most are the beautiful sunsets, watching the baby bunnies that munch grass in my front yard and the parade of quails running across the trail in front of me.

My kids and I love the parks, hiking trails, beautiful oak trees, and a sense of feeling safe.

I enjoy the beautiful hiking trails and the awesome local events.

The bunnies!

California Minimum Wages Increased to $15.50 Per Hour on January 1, 2023

Effective January 1, 2023, the minimum wage for all California hourly employees is $15.50 per hour, up from $15 per hour for employers of 26 or more and $14 per hour for employers of 25 or less in 2022.

The federal minimum wage for 2023 is still $7.25, a rate unchanged since it became effective on July 24, 2009.

California minimum wage rates apply to Ventura County residents.

The City of Los Angeles minimum wage rate has been $16.04 per hour since July 1, 2022. Each year, the minimum wage is adjusted for inflation; the adjusted rate is announced on February 1st of each year and becomes effective on July 1st of each year. The city’s 2023 minimum wage rate increases to $16.78 effective July 1, 2023. See wagesla.lacity.org.

The County of Los Angeles minimum wage rate became $15.96 per hour effective July 1, 2022 and increases to $16.90 per hour starting July 1, 2023. See dcba.lacounty.gov/minimum-wage-for-businesses.

Why the City of Los Angeles and County of Los Angeles can’t align their rates to be the same is beyond me.

Looking for a higher minimum wage? Move to San Francisco, where the rate has been $16.99 per hour since July 1, 2022 and will be adjusted for inflation again on July 1, 2023 to $18.07 per hour. See sf.gov/information/understanding-minimum-wage-ordinance.

Or better yet, the City of Emeryville, CA minimum wage effective July 1, 2022 became $17.68 and increases to $18.67 on July 1, 2023. See www.ci.emeryville.ca.us/1024/Minimum-Wage-Ordinance.

The highest city minimum wage rate in the country in 2023 is $18.69 per hour for employers in Seattle, Washington. www.seattle.gov/laborstandards/ordinances/minimum-wage

Looking for states with minimum wages set at the federal rate of $7.25/hour? That would be Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

California’s minimum wage rate in 2022 was the third highest in the country. Washington D.C. is at $16.50 per hour, increasing to $17 per hour on July 1, 2023. The state of Washington is at $15.74 per hour for workers 16 and older. Massachusetts is currently at $15 per hour effective January 1, 2023. www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-law-about-minimum-wage

Caspar Borchard and Family Have a Permanent Presence in the Conejo Valley

Caspar Borchard was born in 1842 in Werxhausen, Germany. He sailed to the U.S. with his uncle Christian Borchard in 1867. He liked it so much here that he went back to Germany to get funds (Bitcoin wasn't around back then apparently) to buy land. While back in Germany, he married Theresa Diedrich, who died 3 years later. Within a year he married Theresa Maring. They came back to the U.S. and he bought 205 acres in what is now El Rio (Oxnard).

In 1882, Caspar bought 3,285 acres in the Conejo Valley after his brother Johannes bought 4,000 acres. Theresa Maring died in 1898 at age 49. Their youngest daughter (8 total kids) was also named Theresa. Caspar retired in 1918 and died in 1930. leaving a large family and a permanent presence in the Conejo Valley (Borchard Road, Borchard Park and Community Center). Theresa Drive parallels Borchard from Wendy to Sequoia Middle School in Newbury Park.

This is an undated photo from Thousand Oaks Library archives. Pictured: Back row: Caspar, Rosa, Mary, and Leo. Middle row: Frank, Theresa Maring, holding Charles, Caspar holding Theresa, Antone.

Farm motif playground at Borchard Park in Newbury Park

Borchard Park Labyrinth and Fitness Equipment Area

Borchard Skate Park

Borchard Community Park