City of Camarillo Anticipates Cracker Barrel to Open by Early 2020 (February 3rd)

UPDATE 1/11/20: “Opening February 3rd” sign is up.

Cracker Barrel from Los Posas Road on December 15, 2019.

UPDATE: Last month, the Mayor of Camarillo said February 2020 is the latest anticipated grand opening date of the Camarillo Cracker Barrel. Subject to change, as we know. www.facebook.com/crackerbarrel.camarillo.

The iconic Cracker Barrel shape is starting to take hold.

POSTED 1/25/19: Today the City of Camarillo posted a long-awaited update about Cracker Barrel to its Facebook page. Cracker Barrel is anticipated to begin construction in March and open by November 2019. It will be located within the Camarillo Promenade section of the Camarillo Premium Outlets.

The last update last August was a planned ground breaking in the Fall of 2018 with March/April 2019 opening date. The city noted that Cracker Barrel, based in Tennessee, decided to expand for the first time in California and has four locations (including Camarillo) in the works. But they experienced delays as they had not been prepared for accessibility and Title 24 (energy efficiency and green design) requirements in this state.

The popular eatery opted to commit to completing stores in Victorville, Sacramento and Santa Maria) before moving forward with Camarillo. Sacramento and Victorville are now open; Santa Maria is near completion. That means Camarillo will soon be on the way.

crackerbarrel.com

Courtesy of City of Camarillo Department of Community Development

Ma Dukes Artisan Pizzas Now Open in Agoura Hills (Closing September 22, 2024)

UDDATE: After nearly five years, the owner of Ma Dukes is refocusing his efforts on his expanding catering business. Ma Dukes will serve its final artisan pizza on Sunday, September 22, 2024.

If you're looking for delicious gourmet flatbread pizzas and salads, Ma Dukes by L.A. Roots is in "soft opening" mode at 30651 Thousand Oaks Blvd, Agoura Hills (at Lake Lindero Drive), near Hatch Cafe. Located in the former Ameci Pizza spot.

Fresh Curry Chefs Recently Opened in Camarillo

Fresh Curry Chefs opened just a few weeks ago at 33 N. Lewis Road in Camarillo, next to Tony's NY Pizzeria, between the 101 overpass and Ventura Blvd. They offer fresh Indian food meal kits that you can either bring home and make in 15 minutes or less, or they can cook it for you to eat there. One saliva inducing menu item is there signature Frankie roll, an Indian burrito stuffed with Chicken Tikka Masala, Paneer Tikka Masala or Channa Masala and wrapped in a perfectly charred naan.

Visit www.freshcurrychefs.com for more information Open 11am to 2pm and 5-8pm daily. 805-384-8066

First Ventura County Sonic Drive-In Planned in Fillmore

UPDATE OCTOBER 2022: Non-update. No updates.

One of these days, months or years, the first Ventura County Sonic Drive-In is anticipated to be built in Fillmore at the northwest corner of Orange Grove and Ventura Street (CA-126). In October 2018, The Fillmore Gazette mentioned it was slated to open in summer 2019. We shall see.

www.sonicdrivein.com

Bowlero to Open 32,000 Square Foot Bowling Center at The Collection at RiverPark in Oxnard

UPDATE Feb 2021: The Collection at RiverPark recently announced that the new Bowlero will be opening in Fall 2022.

Bowlero has signed a long-term lease and will be building a 32,000 square foot bowling alley and entertainment center at The Collection at RiverPark in Oxnard.

Slated to open in late 2020, Bowlero will feature signature blacklight bowling lanes, laneside lounge seating, video walls a giant arcade and a menu that includes upscale food and beverage offerings.

Bowlero Corp operates 42 bowling centers throughout California under the Bowlero, Bowlmor, and AMF brands, including Bowlero Woodland Hills that opened in March 2016. Visit BowleroCorp.com for more information.

This is great news for Ventura County, which currently has bowling alleys in Ventura, Camarillo and Simi Valley. What a fantastic addition to The Collection! Interestingly, this is only about a mile away from the former Wagon Wheel Bowl on the other side of the 101 that closed in May 2015 to make way for a housing development.

Little Calf Creamery and Cafe's 2nd Conejo Valley Location in Westlake Village Now Open

UPDATE 1/11/20: Little Calf Creamery and Cafe’s 2nd location at the Northgate Plaza in Westlake Village (southwest corner of Westlake and Thousand Oaks Boulevards) opened yesterday. www.facebook.com/Littlecalfcreamery This location is a scoop shop only. It does not have the full menu that the original location has.

Future 2nd location of Little Calf Creamery and Cafe at the Northgate Place in Westlake Village.

Originally posted 6/22/19:

Well this was extremely exciting news for local folks on social media this morning - Little Calf Creamery and Cafe announced via its Facebook page that it has signed a lease at the Northgate Plaza in Westlake Village (southwest corner of Westlake and Thousand Oaks Boulevards) to open a second location in the late summer time frame - target date late September. It will be located in the space between Blaze Pizza and The Habit Burger (in the space previously occupied by Famous Dave’s years ago).

The original Little Calf Creamery and Cafe continues to operate at 652 East Janss Road (at Moorpark Road) in the Conejo Valley Plaza. It opened its doors at the former Greenhouse Cafe on October 18, 2015.

Little Calf Creamery and Cafe serves artisan ice cream, sorbets and delicious salads, sandwiches, soups and burgers. Ice cream is made on premises in small batches, with over 15 year-round and seasonal flavors.

Visit www.littlecalfcreamery.com for more info.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Camarillo is Opening on Monday, February 3rd

It has been 22 months since we first announced that the Camarillo Planning Commission approved construction of a 10,486 sq ft Cracker Barrel eatery in the Promenade section of the Camarillo Premium Outlets, making it the first Cracker Barrel ever to reside in Ventura County. Five months later, the city anticipated a Spring 2019 grand opening.

Well, here we are in January 2020 and, at long last, the official sign is up on the side of the building that says Cracker Barrel is opening on February 3rd, a Monday. Expect some long lines that day!

More updates on the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Facebook page at www.facebook.com/crackerbarrel.camarillo. Address is 560 East Ventura Boulevard.

First Phase of Waterfront Mixed-Use Development Portside Ventura Harbor Completed

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First phase of the Largest Waterfront Mixed-Use Development of its Kind on West Coast Completed

Portside Ventura Harbor begins leasing first 56 of the 270 apartment homes

Developers of Portside Ventura Harbor, the largest mixed-used waterfront development of its kind on the West Coast, have released the first 56 apartment homes for lease. The culmination of nearly two decades of planning, at buildout in April 2020, the 27-acre Portside Ventura Harbor fronting Ventura Harbor and the Pacific Ocean will feature 270 apartment homes, 30 live/work units and 22,000 square feet of community serving retail.

Portside Ventura Harbor distinguishes itself from most other mixed-use developments by adhering to the new urbanism principles that are behind the successful communities of Seaside, FL and Santana Row near San Jose, CA. This ultimately helped the Portside Ventura Harbor project gain approval from the California Coastal Commission. Often referred to as “villages,” new urbanist projects place an emphasis on low-impact development with walkable streets, housing, public spaces and shopping all in close proximity to one another.

Created around a large public plaza, Portside Ventura Harbor residents can walk or bike to the community’s town center, 22,000 square feet of retail, pool, spa, tennis court, and pet park. To encourage enjoyment of the waterfront by the community, the developers also dedicated two acres for a public park as well as a new pedestrian promenade bordering the harbor.

The Mission Colonial architecture of Portside Ventura Harbor was designed by Togawa Smith Martin, Inc. with a very low-density ratio of 11 units per acre. All of Portside Ventura Harbor’s studio, one-, two-, three-bedroom apartment homes and live/work units averaging over 1,000 square feet – with 10 percent of the units set aside for low- and moderate-income earners — face the street to activate the sidewalks.

Portside Ventura Harbor also includes the first new marina in Ventura Harbor in more than 30 years. The Marina will feature 104 boat slips to accommodate vessels up to 80 feet, as well as a 90-foot public paddleboard dock.

The developers have engaged family-owned E&S Ring Management Corporation to oversee residential leasing and the Ventura County office of CBRE the retail leasing.

Learn more at portsideventuraharbor.com.

The Irish Pub at The Palm Garden Hotel in Thousand Oaks (Newbury Park) is Now Open

Brendan’s Irish Pub & Restaurant closed its doors in Camarillo and Newbury Park last week as previously posted.

But the good news is that the Palm Garden Hotel has acquired the onsite restaurant and has already reopened it, initially as “The Irish Pub at the Palm Garden Hotel.” It has a limited menu, with some items carried over from Brendan’s.

The Irish Pub at the Palm Garden Hotel will be open limited hours of 4-9PM Monday through Thursday and 4-10PM Friday/Saturday (closed Sunday) until they close for renovations at a future TBA date.

The hotel is developing a new concept for the location.

Brendan’s gift cards will be honored at this temporary restaurant for food and non-alcoholic beverages until February 15th.

More information at www.palmgardenhotel.com/catering-and-dining-copy-20191219143551.htm or by calling 805.716.4200.