Local Buzz covers new businesses, restaurants, closures, local politics, goings on around town and other buzzworthy items in the Conejo Valley and Greater Ventura County. Have a lead? Contact us. Click here for an archive of Local Buzz postings.
Local Buzz covers new restaurants, closures, local politics, goings on around town and other buzzworthy items in the Conejo Valley and Greater Ventura County. Have a lead? Contact us. Click here for an archive of Local Buzz postings.
Post other items directly to the Community Announcements section of the site.
Tifa Chocolate & Gelato announced via its Facebook page today that a new location at the Courtyard Center in Calabasas at 23655 Calabasas Road. They anticipate opening by late December.
Other Tifa locations in Agoura Hills (original location at the Whizins Marketplace), The Shoppes at Westlake Village and the Los Posas Plaza in Camarillo. tifachocolateandgelato.com
Calabrese Café is now open at The Summit in Calabasas, 26787 Agoura Rd #E-1 in the space previously occupied by Industry Bar & Grill and prior to that Wolf Creek Restaurant & Brewing.
Co-founded by celebrity fitness & nutrition expert Autumn Calabrese and her brother, Chef Bobby Calabrese.
Offering breakfast, lunch and dinner, the menu includes a variety of wraps, sandwiches, burgers, salads and desserts, all with a health-conscious focus. Also a specialty coffee and tea bar as well as beer and wine.
Hours 9am to 7pm Mon-Fri, Brunch Sat/Sun starts at 8am. 818-436-2145
On Instagram at www.instagram.com/calabresecafe
Las Virgenes Fire Relief Raises $30,000 for
Woolsey Fire Victims in First Two Days
Parent-Run Relief Organization Partners with Local Businesses to Serve Impacted Families
Displaced residents "shop" at LV Fire Relief's donation center.
In the days during the devastating Woolsey Fire in Southern California, a group of parents in the Las Virgenes Unified School District founded LV Fire Relief (LVFR). LVFR raises money and collects physical donations to serve district-area families whose homes were lost or severely damaged. Nearly one hundred student and staff member families either lost their homes or have been displaced long-term following major damage.
“We believe in the power of community,” said Jenn Kurtz, involved Agoura Hills resident and parent group president with children in three LVUSD schools, who organized the swift creation of LVFR with the blessing of school district leaders. “Some of these families have lost everything. Can you imagine being 9 years old and knowing that your house and everything in it is gone?” Families can seek help at lvfirerelief.org.
LVFR accepts financial donations in partnership with the Southeast Ventura YMCA. “Donations will be distributed on a need basis, and 100% of the funds will go to the families,” said Kurtz. The group is also collecting physical donations of non-perishable food, household goods like paper and cleaning products, baby products, and housewares. Donations have come from businesses, Baby 2 Baby, and individual donors from all over Los Angeles, some driving from as far as Long Beach and Pasadena.
A vacant office space has been loaned to the effort by the Dale Poe Real Estate group and the Agoura Business Center. Volunteers made up of teachers, staff, parents, students, and other community members organize donations and walk fire victims through selecting much-needed items that will help them get through the next several months. The space was nearly filled within its first day, and displaced families came to “shop” for clothes, toiletries, and other items lost in the fire. One recipient broke into tears at the sight of such generosity. “I’ve been fine up until this point,” she said, “but this put me over the edge.”
About LV Fire Relief
Founded in response to the destruction of the Woolsey Fire in November, 2018, LV Fire Relief raises money and collects goods for families who lost their homes or have been displaced long-term by severe damage to their homes. LV Fire Relief is a community effort by local parents, staff, students, and business owners, and is not affiliated with the Las Virgenes Unified School District. Donations are processed with support of the Southeast Ventura YMCA, and are tax-deductible. For more information about LV Fire Relief or to learn how to donate, drop off supplies, or volunteer, please visit lvfirerelief.org.
Trader Joe’s is opening a new location at 23741 Calabasas Road in Calabasas, across the street from The Commons at Calabasas.
The building used to be Babies R Us. Next to Trader Joe’s is Ulta Beauty.
Other Trader Joe’s locations in the vicinity of the Conejo Valley include Newbury Park (Reino and Borchard), Thousand Oaks (Avenida de los Arboles and Moorpark Road), Westlake Village (Thousand Oaks Blvd and Westlake Blvd) and Agoura Hills (Canwood east of Kanan).
More info at locations.traderjoes.com/ca/calabasas/254
UPDATE: Greenleaf closed its doors in December 2018. :(
The former Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop and Johnny Rockets in May 2019. What’s coming next?
Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop is now open at The Commons at Calabasas. (November 2017)
Greenleaf serves made-to-order cocktails, brunch, lunch and dinner using premium, fresh, locally grown produce. The menu includes build your own salad, specialty salads, entrees, side dishes, sandwiches, burgers, starters, pizzas, tacos, juices, protein shakes and more.
Greenleaf promotes contemporary clean eating by providing a delicious, affordable, quick-gourmet dining experience in a luxe and charming setting as well as mouth-watering catering and events.
Learn more at www.greenleafchopshop.com.
See's Candies is opening a new location at The Commons at Calabasas on Saturday, November 18th. The Commons is located at 4719 Commons Way. www.sees.com
Update January 2025: Jeni’s at The Commons has closed its doors and a new Bacio di Latte Gelato is coming soon. Jeni’s has a decent 7 1/2 year run but sorry to see them close.
Update 6/1/17: Now open. Located near Sephora. jenis.com/calabasas. Grand opening party from 6:30-10:30pm on Wednesday, June 7th. Free scoops for all!
Posted 4/30/17: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, the ice cream company founded in 2002 by James Beard Award-winning cookbook author Jeni Britton Bauer, is coming to The Commons at Calabasas this summer. Jeni's uses whole ingredients and dairy from grass-pastured cows in its artisan ice creams. Learn more at jenis.com.
Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop, the trendsetting Beverly Hills-based restaurant group that has redefined the health-conscious dining experience, will open its newest location at The Commons at Calabasas this summer. (UPDATE: Now open - November 2017.)
Led by Commander-in-Leaf Jonathan Rollo; Greenleaf embodies a fun Farm-to-Face spirit serving made-to-order cocktails, brunch, lunch and dinner using premium, fresh, locally grown produce.
Greenleaf promotes contemporary clean eating by providing a delicious, affordable, quick-gourmet dining experience in a luxe and charming setting as well as mouth-watering catering and events.
Learn more at www.greenleafchopshop.com.
Greenleaf will be located in the former home of Johnny Rockets, which closed earlier this year.
And yet another update: This Chipotle closed in the latter part of 2018.
Update: The Calabasas Chipotle opened in late December.
Chipotle will soon be opening a location at The Summit at Calabasas, 26791 Agoura Road, Suite D1, in the former, short-lived home of Village Fish Market & Restaurant, which closed its doors three years ago after less than a year in business.
Chipotle is currently accepting applications for this store at THIS LINK.
Other local area Chipotle locations in Newbury Park, Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks (Oaks Mall), Simi Valley, Malibu, Camarillo, Oxnard and Ventura (2). chipotle.com
Short-lived predecessor in this space soon to be occupied by Chipotle.
Conejo Valley Guide covers events, activities and things to do throughout Ventura County and surrounding areas.
