Sprouts & Shutters: The Forge, Schubros Taproom, Wild Vine and More

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

The Forge, a highly anticipated restaurant opening in Oakland’s Jack London Square, plans to open a café version of the restaurant in Danville this spring. According to Michael Karp, a partner with Les Bon Temps restaurant group, they are “deep into negotiations” to open Forge Pizza in a separately leased space located inside Lunardi’s on Railroad. Karp, who owns Barbacoa and Table 24 in Orinda, says the new eatery will feature Neapolitan-style pizza cooked in an imported Italian oven. We’ll have more details closer to the opening date. Meanwhile you can read about Oakland’s The Forge in Inside Scoop.

Tate Gallery recently opened a seasonal studio inside Lunardi’s. Sacramento artist Michael Tate sells his San Francisco Giants portraits and other art, plus offers classes for both children and adults. Tate Gallery will also offer pop-up tent space for local artists to showcase their work. Tate plans to keep his gallery open through the end of January and hopes to relocate to a permanent space in Danville soon. For more information on tent space opportunity plus details on art classes, visit michaeltategallery.blogspot.com.

Schubros Brewery’s new taproom is set to open later this month. “It’s a NYR (not yet ready) launch,” warns Ian Schuster, Schubros Brewery’s president, but the public is welcome to check out the new taproom and enjoy a pint or three. The cozy taproom features a bar serving four beers on tap (eventually to expand to ten). It also has a big LED flatscreen, a small lounge area and growlers for you to take home, enjoy, bring back and refill. The taproom, located inside the brewery’s new headquarters on Alcosta Boulevard, will open Thursdays and Fridays from 4:30 – 8:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Check for opening updates here on Schubros’s facebook page.

A new teak furniture showroom opened recently on Dublin Boulevard near Zac’s Café. Classic Teak Furniture, headquartered in Union City, sells patio and home furniture and accessories such as patio and dining tables, hanging planters, rocking chairs, wine cabinets, folding bars and even teak saunas. Learn more at classicteak.com.

Not the gym type? You can create your own exercise space at home with treadmills, ellipticals, exercise bikes, rowers and other exercise equipment sold at Pleasanton’s new Precor Home Fitness. The national retail chain, which sells new as well as used equipment, opened a store on Johnson Drive in Relax the Back’s old space. Learn more at precorhomefitness.com.

Opening Update: Corner Bakery Café, previewed in an October column, opened last week in the Pleasanton Gateway on Bernal.

Opening Update: Berry Delight Frozen Yogurt, previewed in a November column, is now open in the Stoneridge Shopping Center.

The owner of The Wild Vine, which closed on First Street recently, is looking for a larger space for the wine and beer lounge. Nick Nardolillo says he’s currently looking at a few Livermore locations with more room for The Wild Vine to add a full bar plus small-plate menu service. Nardolillo also owns White Crane Winery, one of the hosts of the 10th Annual Charity Crab Feed Party set for Jan. 26 to benefit children with autism. Get details at whitecranewinery.com.

Loard’s Ice Cream is set to open at the end of December in The Wild Vine’s old space on First Street. Loard’s, which has another Livermore location on Second Street, is a 60-year-old San Francisco-based ice cream chain. Learn more loards.com.

Want to find out what else is opening in the East Bay? Sprouts & Shutters now covers 21 cities on 18 Patch sites. Read the latest columns for the Central Contra Costa, Berkeley/Oakland and Fremont/Tri-Cities communities.

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

• Fresh & Easy and McCaulous Home in Danville
• Custom Care Pharmacy and Loard's Ice Cream in San Ramon
• JAMS Music in Dublin
• Mia Malcolm and Sherwin-Williams in Pleasanton 
• Cooleykatz Toys and Paragon Outlets changes in Livermore

Know of a business opening or closing in the Tri-Valley? Please tell Patch about it for a future Sprouts & Shutters column. Simply add it to this short form. Or send me a news tip at patchsprouts@gmail.com.

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