There’s a business shuffle in Lavender Heights. The Kennedy Gallery left its space adjacent to Headhunters and moved into the Victorian house on the corner of 20th and L streets. The owners of the costume shop that formerly occupied the space retired, and it was all so that Headhunters and Faces owner Terry Sidie could relaunch his first Sacramento nightclub – Club Bojangles – in the art gallery’s recently vacated space. Club Bojangles is a rebirth of the first club that Sidie owned, back in the 1970s. His subsequent establishments, like Club Bojangles, all cater to the gay community, but welcome straight people as well. “I opened Bojangles in ’76 on Folsom Boulevard,” Sidie said. “I st

Café Roma owner Abe Saadeh said his goal is to take you to Italy without having to leave Sacramento, and now he’s expanding his nearly 2-year-old resturant at 1013 L St. to add seating, beer and wine, and more dining options. “When I first conceived the cafe, I wanted to bring what I saw on my trips to Italy to Sacramento,” Saadeh said Thursday. “I thought it was great to be able to go in and feel the excitement that’s going on in the cafes.” From the window display of gelato to the walk-up espresso bar and premade panninis in the deli case, the small details in Café Roma evoke the feel of being in an Italian cafe, and Saadeh said the expansion will add other elements – beer and wine, fu

After a number of construction delays that pushed Firestone Public House from its original projected opening date in February, the sports bar/restaurant will hold its grand opening on May 10. “We’ll have 20-plus TVs,” said co-owner Henry de Vere White, who also co-owns de Vere’s Irish Pub. “We’re going to show as many sports games as humanly possible.” Food will include a variety of dishes from burgers and steaks to appetizers, pizzas and other options. Co-owner Mason Wong previously told The Sacramento Press that Philly cheesesteak sandwiches and the Korean street tacos featured at GoGi’s Korean BBQ will likely be available as well. The restaurant occupies the 5,800-square-foot space a

More details are emerging about Firestone Public House, the restaurant and bar that will replace the old California Pizza Kitchen in the Firestone Building at 15th and L streets downtown. Featuring American-style cuisine and a hefty beer selection with 60 on tap, the business will be a family-friendly restaurant that will also serve as a place to watch sports and have a brew – not a typical sports bar, according to co-owner Mason Wong. “It’s definitely going to be a full restaurant with a full menu,” Wong said. “We’ll do lunch and dinner, and possibly brunch on Sundays. It will be focused on sports, with a lot of TVs, but it’s not going to have a sports bar look to it.” The target openi

For weeks, a sign saying “so close you can almost taste it” hung in the window of the storefront vacated by Le Petit Paris last year, and on Tuesday, Sacramentans got their chance to go in and sample authentic Italian gelato in Midtown when Devine Gelateria & Cafe opened. “The opening went really well,” owner Elizabeth McCleary said Wednesday morning as she prepared to make gelato and sorbetto from scratch for the upcoming day. Originally planning to close at 8 p.m. on the opening day, there was a line of people as late as 7:45 p.m., and McCleary said she might adjust her hours to stay open another hour if the trend continues. Flavors include roasted almond, pistachio, dulce de leche, b

Two Sacramento families with downtown businesses will take over the space in the Firestone Building that houses California Pizza Kitchen. The restaurant, which opened in May 2009, will close this month, making way for the Firestone Public House in about six months. The de Vere Whites, who own de Vere’s Irish Pub, and the Wong family, which owns Ma Jong’s, The Park Ultralounge, The Mix and Cafeteria 15L, are still working out the details of what the approximately 5,700-square-foot space at 1132 16th St. will hold, according to Henry de Vere White. “The best way to say it is that a sports bar will probably be one aspect of it, and through the buildout, it is going to develop,” he said. “Th

A new “boutique” Goodwill store has opened its doors on L and 16th Streets, offering area shoppers a well organized, eco-friendly retail experience and deals on merchandise like books, lamps, shoes and purses. Store manager Noelle McCrea said the L Street location is unique in that its stock is handpicked from Goodwill locations across the country. While other Goodwills accept and sell most all donations, a “boutique” Goodwill strives to feature name brands, high-quality and vintage goods. Clothing is centrally located and sectioned into garment-specific, labeled racks, like: women’s plus size tops, long sleeve knit tops, lingerie, men’s jackets and men’s dress shirts. The women’s sect

Bicycle food delivery service Edible Pedal has opened a Midtown retail store with an emphasis on helping new cyclists, repairing bicycles and providing locally produced gear. The shop opened Jan. 1 in the Alley between L Street and Capitol off 17th Street, next to Old Soul Co. Originally, Edible Pedal was solely a food delivery service. “This is the perfect location,” said owner John Boyer. “We get a lot of foot traffic through here, and people are taking the time to look at the (business) signs and see what’s around them. When they drive down the major streets, you don’t really get that.” The first products for sale were bicycles on consignment, and it expanded from there. Business now

Vintage furnishings and accessories are the “new” wares for sale at a Midtown business opening next week, but despite their antique nature, co-owner Stefan Bloom said it won’t look like grandma’s attic. The Scout Living collective will open June 1 at 1215 18th St. in what Bloom called the hub of Midtown. Visitors who remember the Beyond Gotham jewelry store – which closed last September – might not recognize the building, which has been rearranged and now holds 11 separate areas ranging from 100 to 200 square feet full of vintage furniture and home décor. “It’s not an antique store – it’s more of a store for home furnishings that are antiques,” said co-owner Erin Boyle, Bloom’s wife. T

De Vere’s Irish Pub, a locally owned downtown business founded in the midst of the recession, will open its second location at the end of the summer in the space that was formerly the home of Soga’s in Davis. “We’re excited,” said co-owner Simon de Vere White. “We’ve been eying Davis for a long time.” The new space, at 217 E St. in downtown Davis, is 4,800 square feet, about 1,000 square feet bigger than the Sacramento pub. His brother, co-owner Henry de Vere White, said the expansion is a risk, but one he hopes will prove as successful as the current location on 15th and L streets in Sacramento. “I think we filled a niche here in Sacramento," Simon de Vere White said, adding that the

The renovation of downtown’s Hotel Berry officially broke ground Thursday morning, with projections that it will be completed as early as the end of the year. The historic hotel at 729 L St. was built in 1929 and was one of several downtown hotels that served Sacramento until the proliferation of chain hotels following World War II made the older ones less marketable, said Michael Massie, housing development manager of Jamboree Housing, which is refurbishing the space. The City Council approved the project last September. Once completed, the hotel will have 104 affordable housing units. Each of the 215-square-foot hotel rooms is being transformed into a studio apartment with kitchenett

 Have you ever been a part of a great crowd at an epic rock show? The kind of crowd that becomes a living, breathing, thing? A sea of buzzing, sweaty, frenzied humanity, urging and inspiring it's champions to take their playing to theretofore undiscovered heights?  The kind of crowd that makes band members to look at each other in a mixture of awe, appreciation and pure joy? Man, it's fun to be a part of one of those crowds. Now, imagine the opposite of that. Friday night, downtown's all ages concert venue, The Refuge, played host to a pretty darn good rock show. The Northgate Project, The Common Men, The Generals, Dusty Brown and Eight Four Seven gave it their all, but unfortunately t

Sacramento needs to build a better image for its downtown, and Downtown Plaza should be “ground zero” for change, urban design experts said Wednesday. City and business leaders often refer to the heart of downtown as the J-K-L Corridor, named for the major streets the area is built on. But referring to downtown that way promotes the idea that it's just an area to move through on the way to somewhere else. The city needs to focus on creating a downtown district that becomes the center of the city, said Betsy Jackson, president of The Urban Agenda Inc. of Ann Arbor, Mich. "Stop thinking and speaking of this as a corridor," Jackson said at City Hall during a presentation by a team of urban

Mexican Tacos with Korean flair are coming to the corner of 15th and L streets as GoGi’s Korean BBQ is opening Tuesday in the former “Park To Go” kiosk. “GoGi’s tacos is a cross between Mexican and Korean taco stands,” said Executive Chef Christian Palmos. “Since there are no taco trucks allowed downtown, it’s a great location.” Palmos said many of the restaurants in the area are more upscale, and he thinks the takeaway food – with patio seating available – will be a good fit. “It’s great food at a great price, and we’re giving the first taco for free opening week,” he said. Tacos – made with Korean barbecue beef short rib, spicy pork, chicken or tofu – will cost $2, and burritos will

Midtown store owners are in a festive mood, decorating their windows to take part in the “Light up Midtown” contest. The contest is being held by the Midtown Business Association, and the first prize is $1,000 to be used toward advertising. “This is first year of contest,” said MBA spokeswoman Amber Schmaeling. “Basically it was just kind of a way for the MBA to rally up the Midtown businesses and do something fun for the holidays that could be a fun way for us to all participate in a friendly competition and decorate the district.” Schmaeling said more than 50 stores participated in the event. “I think it gave the shop owners a little bit of help to pull together as a team and create

Roads across Sacramento will be closed Sunday for the 28th California International Marathon, which ends at the Capitol around 3 p.m. and is expected to draw 8,000 participants. Midtown and downtown will be affected by road closures starting at about 8:15 a.m., according to a press release. The race begins in Folsom at 7 a.m. The runners will come from J Street and go to L Street before the freeway between the 23- and 24-mile mark. The intersection at 33rd and J streets will close from 8:12 a.m. - 12:46 p.m. Runners will continue along L Street to Eighth Street, where they will take a left and turn to the Capitol for the finish line. The 22nd and L streets intersection will be closed

Marni Rubin took her guests on a journey through the tastes, textures and pairings of specialty cheeses, chocolates, ports and dessert wines Saturday. C’est le Cheese owner Jody Lagorio and her husband, Dan Hague, hosted the event at the Lofts on L street. Rubin is a wine educator by trade, teaching class through Wine One One, but she said this class is her favorite to teach, especially around the holidays. She is self educated and she is also a certified wine specialist by the Society of Wine Educators. Before teaching she worked as sommelier. “I enjoy bringing people together to enjoy and share food and elevate their knowledge of all aspects of food,” Lagorio said. The guests are gree

If you think a cupcake is a special treat – and that a business selling them might be considered a luxury in tight times – you’d be wrong. Individual cupcake prices at Icing on the Cupcake, 1121 Alhambra Blvd., range from $2.75 to $3, and co-owner Christee Owens characterized them as being “small indulgences that make people smile.” According to Area Manager Kristina Johnson, the store – which has been open for two weeks – has already garnered a loyal following. “We have every-day customers,” she said. “It makes you feel good to see them coming in each day.” The new location is the third one for the chain, which was founded three years ago in Rocklin. Cupcakes are baked fresh each day

Award-winning travel writer and TV host Rick Steves is coming to Sacramento next week to share his thoughts on travel at St. John’s Lutheran Church. “Americans can travel in one of two ways,” Steves said. “They can travel in a way that widens the gap between them and the rest of the world, or with the proper attitude, you can broaden your perspective and get empathy for other cultures.” Steves got his start in the travel industry as a tour guide, and he has since authored more than 50 guidebooks. He is also is the host of the PBS series “Rick Steves’ Europe.” He had a simple message for those who are nervous or afraid about setting foot on foreign shores: “Fear is for people who don’t

Those who have been avoiding Westfield Downtown Plaza might want to take another look. After kicking off a multimillion-dollar remodeling project last October, the shopping center has a new look and upgraded security. New planters, improved lighting and a more open feel mark a noticeable change to the mall. “We are going to continue to make as many positive features to this property as we can,” said General Manager Russell Dougherty, adding that there is no set timeline for when the mall will be “done.” “We think of it as a bunch of small projects,” Dougherty said. “We want to keep it fresh so shoppers will keep coming back.” Much of the remodel work has focused on making the shopping