Sprouts & Shutters: New Beer Tasting Room, Cupcake Shop and More

Wonder what’s moving into your neighborhood shopping center? Our biweekly Sprouts & Shutters column highlights the latest Tri-Valley restaurant, retail and other business news.

Got a sweet tooth? Try Cupcaked, a cupcake shop that opened in April in the Springtown Village in Livermore next to Z Pizza. Try bestsellers Luscious Lemon and Purple Velvet or opt for one of the many daily rotating flavors, such as 24 Carrot or Peanut Buttery. Browse a complete cupcake schedule and see a photo gallery on Cupcaked's website.

Livermore’s  is preparing to close in July because the North Vasco Road building will be torn down to make way for a housing development. Owner Matt Macedo, who has reached out to the community to solicit donations for the restaurant’s “Downtown or Bust” campaign, hopes to raise enough money to open Los Vaqueros Grill in downtown Livermore. Read more about the closure and campaign on the restaurant's website.

Good news for beer lovers: Carrie Brunelle, the owner of Livermore’s, plans to open a beer tasting room next door at Blacksmith Square, home to several wine-tasting spots. Manager Tim Bryan says Tap 25 will feature 25 taps of American craft beer—that’s right, no big corporate beer. Tap 25, set to open in late July, will feature unique beer-tasting flights as well as beers by the glass.

A new Indian restaurant called Masala Time opens July 1 in Lucky Pizza’s old spot on Amador Valley Boulevard in Dublin. Chef Kamal Wand will create Pakistani and Indian Halal dishes such as tandoori fish, chicken tikka masala and goat curry as well as several vegetarian entrees. The restaurant also will offer event catering.

Dublin finally has its own yoga studio. Get Fit Yoga opened in April on Village Parkway across from the Dublin Post Office and behind Casper’s Hot Dogs. See a class schedule.

Opening updates: Sprouts Farmers Market, covered  on Patch, is set to open June 29. Doors open at 7 a.m. for all you early shoppers. And the opening of Guy Fieri’s new  restaurant has been pushed back a bit to mid July. Read all about the restaurant in .

 in Pleasanton’s closed June 5, less than two years after it opened in the historic . Read more about the closure here in Downtown Eatery Shutting Its Doors in June.

The Pleasanton Hotel won’t stay empty for long: Handles on Main plans to move into the vacant restaurant space in mid-August. Dave Ritterbush, one of the new owners, says the new family-friendly "gastropub" will serve 30 craft beers and 16 local wines on tap and feature "seasonally driven American comfort food" using local ingredients. Highlights include house-smoked meats, a large menu of all-natural hamburgers, full entrees and even gluten-free options. Ritterbush says they're doing an extensive remodel that includes creating more open space, installing a new pewter-topped bar and adding some modern touches while maintaining the feel of the historic hotel. Get more details on the restaurant’s Facebook page.

Last week Pleasanton’s Downtown Yoga celebrated the opening of its second studio. The new “Lotus” studio is on Main Street and the original “Om” studio is on Division Street. Learn more about the studios’ offerings. 

Opening update: Japanese restaurant Ocean Bliss Sushi & Japanese Cuisine, first mentioned in  in October, finally opened in the old Kolln Hardware building at the end of May. Read fans’ praise on Yelp.

Total Threads opened earlier this month in Danville’s Rose Garden shopping center. The shop, next door to Olive, focuses on sports apparel plus team hats, jewelry and customized embroidered products. Total Threads also offers a small section of seasonal sports equipment. See samples of what the store carries on its Facebook page.

More Rose Garden news:  closed late last month. You still can get your pets their toys and treats at the Dog Bone Alley store in Alameda or online.

 moved in March from its Hartz Avenue location to the Danville Livery across from Piatti Ristorante. Because the new space is smaller, Design Elements has reduced its retail offerings but still provides full interior design services.

Just in time for summer: Kids & Teens World, which opened in San Ramon’s Gateway Shopping Center last fall, has added backyard play sets to its inventory. Now you can now find trampolines, wooden play structures, playhouses, sandboxes and kids patio sets. See the choices on the Kids & Teen World website.

Dream Salon opened May 14 on San Ramon Valley Boulevard next to Shiraz Restaurant, across from the Gateway Shopping Center. The hair salon offers haircuts for kids and adults plus color services, hair extensions, waxing and more.

San Ramon’s Total Sports closed at the end of March. The owners of that sporting goods store on San Ramon Valley Boulevard and a new partner opened Total Threads in Danville (see coverage above).

Opening update: Senro Sushi, covered in our , opened May 26 in San Ramon’s Diablo Plaza shopping center next to Safeway. View the menu here. You can read reviews of Senro Sushi's Pleasanton location on Yelp and get a menu preview at www.mysenrosushi.com

Did you miss Patch's last retail and restaurant roundup? Read about these and more in our last Sprouts & Shutters column:

•  and  in Danville
•  and  in San Ramon
•  and  in Dublin
•  and  in Pleasanton
•  and  in Livermore

Know of a restaurant or shop opening or closing in the Tri-Valley? Please send me a news tip at patchsprouts@gmail.com.