New Eateries Coming Soon to the Conejo Valley and Greater Ventura County as We Enter 2022

/

Here we are in mid-December 2021, 18 months into the coronavirus pandemic and looking forward to good tidings in 2022. Here’s a compilation of the some of new local eateries that opened in the Conejo Valley and surrounding areas in 2021 and eateries that are anticipated to be opening soon in the new year.

New Eateries That Opened in 2021

Restaurants That Opened and Restaurants That Closed in the Conejo Valley During the Pandemic

/

The World Health Organization labeled COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 11, 2020, when there were 118,000 reported cases in 114 countries, leading to 4,291 deaths. The state of California was placed on “Stay at Home” orders, effective March 19, 2020. The rest is history.

Meanwhile, we’ve been tracking eateries in the Conejo Valley, including Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Newbury Park, Oak Park, Agoura Hills and portions of Calabasas that opened and closed since the pandemic began.

Eateries That Opened Since the Pandemic Began

Wingstop at Janss Marketplace Thousand Oaks (Opened Mid-April)

Nick the Greek Souvlaki & Gyro House at North Ranch Mall in Westlake Village (May 2021)

Cork Dork Wine Bar in Westlake Village (May 20. 2021)

Fierce Ave Korean BBQ in Newbury Park (2021)

Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen in Agoura Hills (January 2021)

O’t Bistro Asian Comfort Food at Janss Marketplace (March 2021)

Bagelicious Cafe at Whizin Market Square in Agoura Hills (December 2020)

Agoura Wine & Beer Co at Whizin Market Square in Agoura Hills

Drive-Thru Starbucks at Janss Marketplace (January 2021)

E+MON Sushi and Ramen at the Westlake Commons (December 2020)

Siblings Bakery in Thousand Oaks (January 2021)

Chef Danny’s Naru Bento at Janss Marketplace (November 2020)

Leone’s Original Italian Ices in Thousand Oaks (November 2020)

Porta Via at The Commons at Calabasas (September 2020)

Limena Peruvian Eatery in Thousand Oaks (July 2020)

Urban Vejjie at The Shoppes at Westlake (June 23, 2020; but closed in 2021)

Sage Plant Based Bistro & Brewery in Agoura Hills (May 2020)

Peebee & Jay’s Newbury Park (May 2020)

La Esquina Mexican Grill in Thousand Oaks (June 2020)

Armando’s Tacos Thousand Oaks (Fall 2020)

Pedals & Pints Brewing Company Thousand Oaks (March 17, 2020)

Eateries That Announced They are Opening Soon

The Waffle Experience in Newbury Park (Coming Soon)

Valentino’s Take & Bake Pizza in Thousand Oaks (Coming Soon)

Wild Fork Foods - Meat & Seafood Market in Thousand Oaks (Coming Soon)

Azuki Tea at North Ranch Shopping Center in Westlake Village (Coming Soon)

Viet Kitchen at The Village at Newbury Park (Opening Soon)

Amy’s Drive Thru Organic Fast Food in Thousand Oaks (Early 2022)

Barney’s Gourmet Hamburgers at The Commons at Calabasas (Summer 2021)

The Waffle Experience in Newbury Park (Coming Soon)

Furn Saj Lebanese Bakery at The Summit at Calabasas (Now Open - Late May)

Everbowl at the North Ranch Mall in Westlake Village (Coming Soon)

Salsa & Beer Mexican Food in Calabasas (Coming Soon)

Parma Pizzeria to open Agoura Hills Location (Coming Soon)

Caribbean Haven in Thousand Oaks (Coming Soon)

Chakaa Tea Cafe in Newbury Park (Coming Soon)

sweetgreen at The Promenade at Westlake (Coming Soon)

Eateries That Closed Permanently

Flame Broiler in Newbury Park

Lemonade Restaurant at The Promenade at Westlake (Feb 21, 2021)

Mimi’s Cafe Thousand Oaks (February 2021)

Currying Flavors in Agoura Hills (Late 2020)

Roma Italian Deli in Newbury Park (November 2020)

Currying Flavors in Agoura Hills (Fall 2020)

Champagne French Bakery at The Promenade at Westlake (Summer 2020)

Jack’s Donuts Thousand Oaks (August 2020)

Champagne French Bakery at The Promenade at Westlake (Summer 2020)

Taco Bell Westlake Village (July 2020)

Pizza Rev at The Oaks mall (Summer 2020)

Edelweiss German Bierhaus in Newbury Park (June 2020)

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf on Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks (May 2020)

Peet’s Coffee in Westlake Village

Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers in Westlake Village (March 2020)

Starbucks on Moorpark Road (closed, but re-opened up the street as a drive-thru)

E.T. Donuts in Thousand Oaks

Flatiron Bagel in Thousand Oaks

Eateries That Closed Temporarily, Possibly Permanently (TBD)

Stacked at The Oaks mall

Red Robin at The Oaks mall

Pitfire Pizza in Westlake Village

Hot Dog on a Stick at The Oaks mall

Restaurant Revitalization Grants Guideline Announced by SBA - Grants of up to $5 Million Will Be Available

/
Drawing Composite.png

The Small Business Administration has published details about the Restaurant Revitalization Grants (RRG) program. RRG became public law on March 11th, as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. The program appropriated $28.6 billion for the SBA to issue grants.

The program will award between $1,000 and $5 million to each eligible restaurant location, up to two locations per restaurant owner, while funds are available. Eligible eateries include restaurants, food stands, food trucks, food carts, caterers, and other places in which the public assembles to consume food.

Bakeries, brewpubs, tasting rooms, taprooms, breweries and the like are eligible if they can provide documentation that at least 33% of their gross receipts in 2019 were for on-site sales.

How are the grants computed? It’s actually pretty simple. Subtract 2020 gross receipts from 2019 gross receipts and deduct any Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans received. That’s the potential amount of the grant, limited to $5 million per physical location. In general, the more your revenue dropped in 2020 as compared to 2019, the more your restaurant will be eligible for.

There are alternative calculations for restaurants that were only partially open in 2019 or that began operations in 2020 by March 10th.

Funds can be used for payroll, mortgages, rent, employee benefits, utilities, supplies, food and beverages and other costs of doing business. Funds must be used by March 11, 2023.

The program is only available to restaurants that are open. The program does not apply to publicly traded companies, though franchises are eligible.

Applications will be opening soon at restaurants.sba.gov.

Eateries in the Conejo Valley That Have Expanded Their Outdoor Dining Capacity

/

UPDATE 12/5/20: There’s a new order effective December 6th that, among other things, limits restaurants to take-out, pick-up and delivery only throughout Southern California, for at least 3 weeks. The reason for this new order is that ICU capacity has dropped below 15%. The order will be reevaluated once ICU capacity is higher.

With the most recent COVID-19 health order effective July 13th, restaurants were required to close indoor dining operations. In their entrepreneurial spirit, we’ve seen local eateries scramble to adapt to this new requirement. Here’a a compilation of what we’ve seen and heard around town. (Contact us to let us know of additional eateries that are not on the list.)

Temporary additional outdoor dining at Bandits BBQ Thousand Oaks.

Temporary additional outdoor dining at Bandits BBQ Thousand Oaks.

These eateries have added a significant amount of outdoor seating in the parking area:

  • Bandits BBQ Thousand Oaks (in addition to existing outdoor patio area). Also in Camarillo.

  • Lure Fish House Westlake Village.

  • Cronies Newbury Park and Agoura Hills

  • Q Sushi Westlake Village

  • Made In Italy has a cute outdoor dining area in the parking lot

  • Cisco’s Thousand Oaks

  • Tavern Tomoko and Ladyface Brewery in Agoura Hills

  • Crown & Anchor Thousand Oaks

  • Islands Newbury Park

  • The Alamo Newbury Park

  • Pedals & Pints Brewing Co. Thousand Oaks

  • Holdren’s Steakhouse Newbury Park

  • Boney Mountain Pizza Co. Newbury Park

  • Patron Mexican Restaurant Newbury Park

  • Azar’s Newbury Park

  • Rustico in Oak Park

  • Pickles Deli Newbury Park

  • Open air patio at Plata Taqueria Agoura Hills

  • El Sancho Loco Newbury Park

  • Sunset Terrace Thousand Oaks

  • Saffron Indian Cuisine and neighboring The Nook in Newbury Park

  • Los Dos Amigos in Thousand Oaks has expanded seating arrangements into the parking lot.

  • Outdoor patio at Tuscany il Ristorante in Westlake Village

  • Wood Ranch Agoura Hills, Moorpark and Camarillo outdoor patio areas

  • Sunland Vintage Winery in Thousand Oaks

  • The Melting Pot opened up outdoor dining on August 28th

  • Julio’s Agave Grill in Westlake Village

  • Exotic Thai Bistro in Agoura Hills

  • Sunset Terrace in Thousand Oaks has expanded its outdoor seating area

  • Melting Pot Thousand Oaks recently expanded into the parking lot for outdoor dining.

  • Lal Mirch in Agoura Hills has created an outdoor eating area

  • BJ’s in Westlake Village has a large seating area in the parking lot

  • Brent’s Deli has added an outdoor patio with a tent and heat lamps

Outdoor dining at D’Amore’s Pizza Thousand Oaks

Outdoor dining at D’Amore’s Pizza Thousand Oaks

Eateries that already have large outdoor seating capacity:

  • Tarantula Hill Brewing Company Thousand Oaks

  • Eggs N Things Thousand Oaks

  • The Latigo Kid Agoura Hills

  • Restaurants at The Landing in Westlake Village - Boccaccio’s, The Landing Grill, Zin Bistro

  • Side Street Cafe Newbury Park

  • All eateries at Janss Marketplace have plenty of outdoor seating available , including Buca di Beppo, Crazy King Kong Sushi, Greco’s Pizzeria, Janchi Korean BBQ, Karma Indian Cuisine, Lucky’s Dog House, Panera Bread, Sharky’s Sunset Terrace and Cold Stone Creamery.

  • Bad Ass Tacos Thousand Oaks

  • Tabu Shabu Thousand Oaks

  • Eateries at The Lakes at Thousand Oaks - CPK, P.F. Chang’s

  • Eateries at The Promenade at Westlake, including Grill on the Alley, Shake Shack, Soom Soom, Paul Martin’s, Social Monk, Marmalade Cafe, Farfalla, others

  • Eateries at The Oaks mall, including Lazy Dog Cafe, The Cheesecake Factory, Olive Garden, others

  • Five 07 Coffee Bar

  • Droughts Thousand Oaks

  • Pacific Fresh Grill Thousand Oaks

  • Snapper Jacks Thousand Oaks

  • Toppers Pizza Thousand Oaks

  • Grabbagreen Thousand Oaks

  • Cafe Rio Thousand Oaks

  • Urbane Cafe, Kabob Plus and Dog Haus Thousand Oaks

  • The Original Pizza Cookery Thousand Oaks

  • Mejico Grill Agoura Hills outdoor patios

  • Stella’s in Newbury Park has outdoor tables

  • Chili’s in Newbury Park has set up outdoor tables.

  • Adobe Cantina in Agoura Hills

This list is obviously not 100% complete, so contact us with additions.

bit.ly/OutdoorEating

Eateries that have been closed in the Conejo Valley during the pandemic:

  • Stacked at the Oaks Mall - All Stacked locations have been “temporarily closed” since March and there have been no updates since then at stacked.com

  • Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf on Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks - permanently closed

  • Five Guys Thousand Oaks has been closed for the duration of the pandemic - while it appears permanently closed, I have not been able to independently confirm this with Five Guys.

  • Pitfire Artisan Pizza in Westlake Village indicates it is temporarily closed.

  • Azi Grill at Janss Marketplace has been closed. It is unclear if the closure is temporary or permanent.

  • Champagne French Bakery at The Promenade at Westlake.

  • Red Robin at The Oaks Mall.

  • Flame Broiler in Newbury Park

  • Janchi Korean BBQ at Janss Marketplace temporarily closed until further notice in December

Eateries that were closed for awhile that have reopened:

  • Le Pain Quotidien in Westlake Village has been closed for months but is now (as of 9/29) back open, 8am to 4pm daily.

Eateries that appear to have permanently closed :

New local eateries that have opened in recent months in THIS SECTION OF LOCAL BUZZ.

Other local eateries that have closed in recent months in THIS SECTION OF LOCAL BUZZ.

Positive and Uplifting Thoughts From Conejo Valley Guide Facebook Followers During the Pandemic

/
Ragamuffin Coffee Roasters just reached its 5th anniversary at 111 N. Reino Road, Newbury Park (Trader Joe's/CVS plaza). If you're looking for an independent, local family-owned coffee and bake shop, this is the place for you! hragamuffinroasters.co…

Ragamuffin Coffee Roasters just reached its 5th anniversary at 111 N. Reino Road, Newbury Park (Trader Joe's/CVS plaza). If you're looking for an independent, local family-owned coffee and bake shop, this is the place for you! ragamuffinroasters.com.

We’ve been hosting daily gift card drawings for local Conejo Valley eateries on the Conejo Valley Guide Facebook Page since July 23rd. These drawings have been made possible thanks to donations from several hundred individuals and businesses at bit.ly/CVGFund (credit cards) and paypal.me/ConejoValleyGuide.

In a recent drawing, we asked folks to enter by adding a positive and/or uplifting comment to the post. Here’s a compilation of some of those comments.

  • “Do small things with great love.” - Mother Theresa

  • Choose to be kind over being right and you will be right all the time.

  • After every storm a rainbow appears.

  • Remember that time heals all, and if we all stick together we will be okay!

  • A smile is a curve that can set things straight.

  • No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again.

  • Whatever you decide to do, make sure it makes you happy.

  • “You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

  • Enjoy the time you have, with the people you have it with!! Family, whether blood or not, is everything!

  • Find the good, and share it with others.

  • Be so happy that, when other people look at you, they become happy too.

  • All it can take is a smile to change someone’s whole day.

  • Tough times don’t last but tough people do.

  • Be kind. You don't know what people are going through. Wish them well

  • When words are both true and kind, they can change the world!

  • Find something positive in each and every day.

  • Find time to do something nice for someone today.

  • “I don’t think of all the misery, but of all the beauty that still remains” - Anne Frank

  • When you can’t control what’s happening, challenge yourself to control the way you respond,

  • “If it was easy, then everyone would do it!”

  • “Kindness costs nothing, yet it is the most precious gift.”

  • Smile with your eyes. You can do it. You may not think people will notice, but they do.

  • May you see sunshine where others see shadows, and opportunities where others see obstacles.

  • To quote Dory, “Just keep swimming.”

  • Stars shine brightest in the dark.

  • Be positive and thankful for all that you have.

  • May your WiFi be as strong as your coffee!

  • Sprinkle kindness like it's confetti.

  • Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits put together that will overwhelm the world.

  • The sun will come out tomorrow.

  • As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.—Albert Schweitzer

  • Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.

  • Always believe something wonderful is about to happen.

Sweet Arleen's in the Westlake Plaza at 960 S. Westlake Blvd, Ste 4 is named after its original owner, Arleen Scavon, but is now owned by Chef Julia San Bartolome. They worked together to win the Food Network Cupcake Wars three times. Walk into this…

Sweet Arleen's in the Westlake Plaza at 960 S. Westlake Blvd, Ste 4 is named after its original owner, Arleen Scavon, but is now owned by Chef Julia San Bartolome. They worked together to win the Food Network Cupcake Wars three times. Walk into this shop and you'll be mesmerized by the cupcakes on display. sweetarleens.com

Sundown at Westlake Lake on a Warm Summer Night

/

Peaceful views of the sun setting from Westlake Lake in Westlake Village on a warm July night. While Westlake Lake is a private lake, you can still enjoy its beauty in many ways. Running, cycling and walking around the lake via Triunfo Canyon and other adjacent streets is quite popular. Or visit The Landing (32129 Lindero Canyon) on the southwest side of the lake to enjoy a meal at one of several lakefront restaurants such as Boccacio's, Zin Bistro Americana and The Landing Grill and Sushi Bar, all with indoor/outdoor dining. Or just stroll around, taking in the sweeping views and serenity.