New Italian Restaurant, La Cucina di Venti, Coming to Paraiso Town Center in Dos Vientos this November

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Update 12/10/11: La Cucina di Venti is slated to open on Monday, December 12, according to the restaurant's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LaCucinadiVentinp.

Originally posted 8/2/11: Under new ownership, the beautiful Paraiso Town Center in the Dos Vientos section of Newbury Park recently announced that a new restaurant is planned to open this Fall. La Cucina di Venti is a family owned Italian/American Grill. They will serve Italian food and pizza. No additional details at this point but follow their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/La-Cucina-di-Venti/124312997662911?sk=wall for the latest updates. And of course while you're at it follow CVG's page for daily updates, contests and other tidbits

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Billy D'z Backyard BBQ Coming to Newbury Park This Fall

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Update 11/17/11: The owners of Billy D'z say that their grand opening will be Monday, November 28th! Looking pretty nice in there. Situated in between Tomodachi and Subway across the parking lot from Fresh and Easy.

Originally posted 10/3/11: For those of you driving in the vicinity of Wendy Drive and Old Conejo Road in Newbury Park, you may have noticed this sign facing Wendy at the Conejo Gateway shopping c

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The Lab Brewing Company to Open in Agoura This August (Updated: Early November)

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Update 11/1/11: The Lab has opened today! Live music on Friday night, 11/4.

Update 10/18/11: Tentative opening changed to Friday, November 4th if not earlier.

Update 10/17/11: Website indicates tentative opening date is Thursday, October 20th from 7pm to 2am.

Update 9/29/11: According to this craigslist post, The LAB is hiring for an anticipated opening in mid-October!

New Brewery Opening Looking for wait staff (Agoura Hills)

The L.A.B. brewery, full service restauant and bar, will be opening up in mid October and is looking for waiters, waitresses, bar tenders, and hostesses. Come interview at The L.A.B. brewery, located at 30105 Agoura rd., Agoura Hills, ca, 91301, between the hours of 10am -- 12:30pm, and 3pm -- 6pm Monday October 3rd. Please bring resume and references. We look forward to seeing you.

www.labbrewingco.com/

Originally posted in July: MOZ Buddha Lounge in Agoura closed on May 14th this year but the owners are planning to open The Lab Brewing Company sometime this August.

According to The Lab's Facebook Page:

The LAB Brewing Company is a collaboration and experimentation in good eats and craft brews. Executive Chef Moez Megji will pair his unique California fresh, farm to table dishes with He
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Lots of Buzz About a Proposed Opening of Hooters in Thousand Oaks - Survey Time!

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Update 10/27/11: VC Star reports that Hooters is withdrawing application for full bar and is going ahead with permitting for opening with beer and wine only.

Update 8/10/11: VC Star "Hundreds Oppose Opening of Hooters in Thousand Oaks"

Update 8/5/11: Plenty of Hooters buzz at the CVG Facebook page going on.

Update 7/26/11: VC Star indicates that City of Thousand Oaks seeks public comments regarding the proposed Hooters at Janss Marketplace through August 4th. 

ORIGINALLY POSTED MARCH 31: On March 18th, the Ventura County Star published an article about the possibility of a Hooters restaurant at Janss Marketplace at the location vacated by Fuddruckers in April 2010 (and for you old geezers, previously occupied by Sizzler). There are 455 Hooters throughout the world, with the closest locations in Hollywood, Santa Monica and Burbank, far far away from us sheltered folk in Ventura County. Th

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Buddha's Belly Opening at The Oaks Mall on Monday, October 10th

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Update 10/10/11: 

Buddha’s Belly Restaurant will open today, Monday, October 10, 2011 at 11:00am at The Oaks Shopping Center in Thousand Oaks. With existing locations in Santa Monica and West Los Angeles, the restaurant group has selected the Conejo Valley as its third Southern California location.

Buddha’s Belly will offer freshly prepared Pan-Asian cuisine along with a delicious cocktail menu created by famed mixologist Vincenzo Marianella. This location will feature a newly added sushi menu as well as signature dishes from Chef Hisashi Yoshiara.

In addition to the comfortable and spacious dining room, guests can enjoy the outdoor patio, and private dining room. Convenient take-away parking directly in front of the restaurant will also be available late October. The restaurant will be located on the northeast side of The Oaks Shopping Center facing Hillcrest Drive.

About Buddha’s Belly Restaurant Group

Buddha's Belly is committed to deliver good food and good fortune to our patrons, co-workers, and community. Buddha’s Belly CEO Jonathan Chu made his vision a reality nine years ago, creating a unique restaurant that would provide an eclectic selection of his favorite Pan-Asian foods at affordable prices that would woo both fans of Asian cuisine and the uninitiated alike.  Inside the Feng Shui-designed restaurants, guests can enjoy a "culinary trip across Asia", a full take-out menu, and off and on-premise catering.

Hours of operation: Sunday – Thursday, 11:30am – 10:00pm, Friday & Saturday, 11:30am – 11:00pm

To learn more about Buddha’s Belly Restaurant Group, visit www.bbfood.com. Follow us on Facebook.com/BuddhasBelly or Twitter.com@BuddhasBelly1

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New Self Service Frozen Yogurt Place, Yogreens, Opened in Camarillo on Sept 24th

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UPDATE: Yogreens closed on 12/2/2011.

Yogreens is a new self service frozen yogurt place located at the Carmen Plaza Shopping Center, corner of Carmen and Daily in Camarillo (the one with Big Lots and Trader Joe's). It just opened on Saturday, September 24th. Haven't been there yet but plan to. This is where Polar Bears Ice Cream/Yogurt used to be located.  As evidenced by their name, they will serve frozen yogurt and have a salad bar (the latter will be coming soon). I'm not real thrilled with the name Yogreens but at least I understand why they named it that.!

Visit their Facebook page for more information. Their number is 805.445.0054. And of course for the most comprehensive list of Frozen Yogurt and other cool treats around Ventura County, CLICK HERE.

Freshii Comes to The Promenade at Westlake Village in July 2011 (Update: Last Week of September)

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April 4/22/12: Freshii is now closed. Ouch. That wasn't very long!

Update 9/23/11: The Promenade at Westlake announces the grand opening will take place sometime next week, the week of September 26th.

Originally Posted 5/19/11:

This sounds pretty cool! Another new restaurant coming to the Conejo Valley that is new and different! Freshii is coming to The Promenade at Westlake sometime this July.

Freshii calls itself "the new generation of quick service dining," offering a delicious, full customizable menu. Build your own salad, wrap, burrito, brown rice bowl or soup from over 70 fresh ingredients. Breakfast items include organic, slow-cooked oatmeal, organic muesli, breakfast wraps, fat-free parfaits, organic fair-trade coffee and organic teas.

Make your own meal with fresh ingredients. Now this is interesting...check out their online menu where you can add items and nutrition information is tabulated automatically for you at www.freshii.com/menu.php.

Freshii packaging is made from eco-friendly vegetable starches, they shake their me

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Hooters Administrative Public Hearing in Thousand Oaks on Thursday, September 15th

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Update from VC Star on 9/20/11: Thousand Oaks resident Don Hunn, 77, has paid $1,130 to file an appeal of the decision to allow a full bar at the new Hooters. This is outstanding news for local newspapers as it provides continued comedy material.

Update from the VC Star on 9/16/11: Operators granted full bar. The decision can be appealed to the City Planning Commission within 10 calendar days and a fee of $1100. Over 60 people attended the meeting and it lasted 3 hours. 39 people spoke against the application, 12 spoke in favor of it. Ah yes, no doubt this is not the last we've heard of this "issue."

Hooters_logo.jpg

Today, the City of Thousand Oaks Community Development Department mailed a Notice of Admininstrative Public Hearing to all property owners located within 500 feet of the proposed Hooters in the Janss Marketplace parking lot, 401 N. Moorpark Road (corner of Moorpark Road and Brazil Street).

VacantHooters.jpg

The persistently vacant ex-Sizzlers, ex-Fuddruckers location proposed for Hooters. The hearing will be held on Thursday, September 15th at 3 p.m. at City Council Chambers, 2nd Floor, 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard. Anyone is allowed to attend and be heard on the following matter:

Applicant: Thousand Oaks Wings, LLC

Sign on Potential Future Hooters Location Door. TOW Stands for Thousand Oaks Wings

Sign on Potential Future Hooters Location Door. TOW Stands for Thousand Oaks Wings

Request: To modify the existing special use perrmit condition limiting on-site sale and consumption of beer and wine only to allow sale and consumption of all alcoholic beverages in conjunction with the operation of a restaurant.

This should be interesting, based on the concerns voiced by some local residents. If you're looking for some excitement on September 15th, this could be the place to be (in close competition with the 65 cent funnel cake sticks offered up by Hot Dog on a Stick on September 15th!!).

The sole purpose of the hearing is to address whether the applicant shall be allowed to have a full bar and if that is allowable under City code. The purpose of the meeting is NOT to address whether or not a Hooters should be "allowed" there in the first place. It may be entertaining watching how the the City manages to keep the scope of the meeting within its stated purpose.

Expect plenty of news coverage. For further information about the request, contact the City of Thousand Oaks.

The majority of Hooters restaurants have full bars, including the following locations that are closest to Thousand Oaks: Santa Monica, Hollywood, Burbank, Downtown Los Angeles, Anaheim, Oceanside and West Covina.

If for whatever reason we don't get our Hooters in Thousand Oaks, I'd be o.k. if they bring back Sizzler.

Mandarin Bistro to Open in Newbury Park at the Old Pick Up Stix Location

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9/12/11 Update: Mandarin Bistro will be open for business on Monday, September 19th.

Original post 7/11/11: Thanks to a tip from fellow Facebooker Kimberly G, I've discovered that what used to be at 501 S. Reino Road in Newbury Park will soon be Mandarin Bistro. I have no additional information at this point but it looks like it will be opening soon.

Hopefully there will be good as I'm always hungry for Chinese food, and I'm always hungry soon after eating Chinese food. But that's another story.

But I digress. I wonder why they call it a bistro. Bistro is a French word that according to Webster's Dictionary means "small, unpretentious restaurant." Well OK, I guess this location is small and pretentious, so that works.

On a separate but kind of related note, CB Richard Ellis is marketing space 501-D in that plaza, 3 doors down, between the cleaners and the Hallmark store. That would be Pure Beauty. They say the 2,540 sq ft space will be available in October 2011 at $2.45 per sq ft, including fixtures, plus $.40 for triple net.

Here's where Mandarin Bistro will be located.