Few of this year's downtown Walnut Creek changes involve a business that's new to downtown. Since June, most of the reported openings have been familiar names moving to a different storefront, brands coming back to Broadway Plaza, or new tenants in spaces that already had a well-known occupant. The streets look much the same as last year. The tenants have shifted around. On Nov. 20, the ice rink returns to Civic Park and the tree lights go on, and a lot of people will walk downtown for the first time since the shuffle.
Familiar Addresses, New Names
The quickest way to see the change is by street number. On North Main, Locust and Mt. Diablo, much of the turnover has gone into storefronts with a known history.
| Address | Previously | Now |
|---|---|---|
| 1522 N. Main St. | PRIMA | Doppio Zero, open |
| 1105 S. California Blvd. | Genova Delicatessen | MIXT, open |
| 1619 Mt. Diablo Blvd. | Sleep Number | Saatva, open |
| 1359 Locust St. | Another downtown location | Taqueria Extra & Cantina, relocated |
| 1521 N. Main St. | Oyama Sushi | Salt & Lime, announced |
| 1366 N. Main St. | Earlier at The Mercer and a Broadway Plaza pop-up | VICI, returning |
Beyond the Creek reported Doppio Zero's opening in the former PRIMA space on June 8. A month later, MIXT moved into the former Genova Delicatessen location. Patch put the address at 1105 S. California Blvd. and the opening on July 14, and the Mercury News reported an opening-week celebration planned for July 14 through 19. MIXT now says on its own site that the Walnut Creek location is officially open.
Taqueria Extra & Cantina never left downtown. According to Beyond the Creek's July 15 report, it moved to 1359 Locust Street from another downtown location. On Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Saatva opened at 1619, in the former Sleep Number store, so a mattress showroom replaced another mattress showroom.
VICI is the clearest return. Beyond the Creek reported that the brand was coming back to 1366 N. Main St. after earlier stints at The Mercer and a Broadway Plaza pop-up. Patch listed a scheduled opening of Sept. 10, with a grand opening on Sept. 12. Calling ahead before a special trip is a good idea.
A few of the year's food openings were new businesses without a well-known predecessor in the space. Milky Flakes opened at 1399 N. Main St. with bingsu and soft serve on the menu, per Beyond the Creek's July 6 report. The BOBA Lounge opened at Broadway Pointe in September. Both are dessert and drink counters, a good fit for an evening at the rink.
Broadway Plaza Is Rearranging Its Own Rooms
The pattern is even clearer inside Broadway Plaza. A large share of the plaza's 2026 activity has been stores already there changing locations, or brands coming back to sit near where they used to be.
- gorjana moved within the plaza to a spot near the fountain, Beyond the Creek reported in early June.
- State & Liberty moved temporarily near the parking garage during a renovation and was back at its original location by Oct. 13.
- The North Face is moving into the former White House Black Market space at 78 Broadway Lane, according to the Bay Area Telegraph. Broadway Plaza's directory still lists the new store as coming soon.
- Sur La Table is coming back to the plaza, next to its former site, in the space P.F. Chang's used to occupy. The company's Walnut Creek store page gives the address as 1205 Broadway Plaza and says "Opening Late Fall."
- Rowan, an ear-piercing studio and jewelry brand, is moving into the former Aveda space at 146 Broadway Lane, Suite 1120. Its studio page still says coming soon.
Two openings were true newcomers to the plaza. Läderach Chocolate opened in mid-August, and two days later the modular-furniture showroom 7th Avenue opened. Over at Plaza Escuela, Beyond the Creek reported in July that The Container Store now includes Bed Bath & Beyond. That brand came back by sharing an existing store instead of opening its own.
So the plaza's holiday directory will look different from last year's, even though very few of the names are new to Walnut Creek. If you shop by habit, expect to find some stores a few doors down from where they used to be.
Four Storefronts Still Waiting
Four of the arrivals tied to this reshuffle were still unopened as of mid-October. Salt & Lime was still listed as coming to 1521 N. Main St. in Beyond the Creek's late-September update, with no opening date. The North Face and Rowan are both listed as coming soon, and Sur La Table's only stated timing is "late fall." Late fall overlaps with the rink season, so some of these doors may open while the ice is running. None of them has a date yet.
Two Spaces Gone Quiet
Two storefronts went the opposite way this year. On Aug. 19, fire caused significant damage to Lettuce Restaurant & Catering at 1632 Locust Street, the Bay Area Telegraph reported. Richmondside reported later that month that the restaurant was closed indefinitely and that it was unclear whether or when it would reopen.
At 1406 N. Broadway, the furniture store Yardbird has closed. It opened downtown in 2023, and Beyond the Creek noted that its selection is still available online. Given how this year has gone, a downtown storefront with a known history doesn't usually sit empty for long. Neither of these spaces has an announced next tenant.
The Season That Shows the New Map
Holiday events are usually when the most people walk downtown in a single evening. This year's calendar starts on one night and builds from there.
- Friday, Nov. 20: Walnut Creek on Ice opens and the city tree is lit. The rink returns to Civic Park, 1365 Civic Drive, for its 21st season and runs through Jan. 18, 2027, according to the Walnut Creek Downtown announcement from Oct. 13. The same evening, the free Holiday Tree Lighting runs from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Civic Park, with complimentary cocoa, carolers and a Frosty meet-and-greet.
- Saturday, Nov. 21: Once Upon a Street: Evergreen & Elegance. Broadway Plaza hosts holiday-themed, family-friendly activities from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 3: Holiday Parade of Lights & Tree Lighting. Broadway Plaza's evening event runs throughout the plaza from 6 to 8:30 p.m., with a parade and a tree-lighting ceremony led by Santa.
Some rink details are worth knowing before you go. The rink's downtown page lists skating at $20 and the ice slide at $20. The combo of slide and skate is listed at "$20 Weekday Non-Holiday Dates, $30 Weekends & Holiday Dates." Sessions last 90 minutes, prices are per person, and the rink is cashless. The slide is Frosty's Summit, and it runs 90 feet. The season includes the Ice-Skating Academy, hockey classes, private fire-pit reservations, and Wednesday-morning Littles Skates for the youngest skaters, one of which includes a visit from Santa. Hours and reservations are posted at WalnutCreekOnIce.com.
"After 21 years, we've seen kids grow up on this ice and come back with families of their own," said Kathy Hemmenway, executive director of the Walnut Creek Business Association, in the Walnut Creek Downtown release. The rink has been a fixture for two decades, and this year many of the storefronts around it have changed.
From Civic Park, the new map is a short walk in any direction. MIXT is on South California Boulevard. Milky Flakes and Doppio Zero are on North Main. Läderach, gorjana's new spot near the fountain, and the coming-soon storefronts are inside Broadway Plaza. If a skate on Nov. 20 turns into dinner, many of the choices will be at addresses you know, under new names.
At The Beaubelle Group, we keep track of how downtown Walnut Creek changes from season to season, because those changes are part of what our clients and neighbors live with every day. If you're curious how this year's downtown shifts relate to your home's value, we would be glad to prepare a complimentary home valuation.
