NEW DIRECTION Arts & Crafts furniture store The Craftsman Home at 3048 Claremont Avenue closed its doors after many years on August 13. Owner Lee Jester says he’s moving on to new ventures, still specializing in American Craftsman-style home furnishings.
SHORT HOP Swiftly moving in to the old Craftsman Home space is clothing boutique Personal Pizazz, run by former BHS Vice-Principal Laura Leventer, which sells a wide range of separates and suits, formal as well as casual, and offers personal shopping. The store doesn’t have far to go as it is currently just around the corner at 2842 Prince Street.
SMOKIN’ Joshua Kemper opened Smokey J’s BBQ earlier this summer, and the place is getting great reviews from the likes of East Bay Express, Yelp and Chowhound. The Oakland native is serving Kansas City-style BBQ at 3015 Shattuck Avenue.
CHOCOHOLIC ALERT UC Berkeley graduate Arcelia Gallardo will open Casa de Chocolate in one of the former Wrights Garage retail spaces on Ashby at College. Gallardo’s passion is pre-Columbian culture, chocolate and food.
BEAUTY BEAT With its vibrant orange façade and powder blue door, you can’t miss Botanicá Oyá Niké, a cosmetics, beauty supplies, and perfume store, that recently opened at 3025 Adeline Street, near Ashby.
REINVENTION Japanese restaurant Joshu-ya, which has been on the Berkeley scene for more than 30 years, reopened on August 15 as Joshu-ya Brasserie with 27-year-old chef-owner Jason Kwon at the helm and a new modern Japanese menu. Its at 2441 Dwight Way.
Shop Talk is our new regular column in which we post updates on Berkeley businesses — openings, closings, new directions, relaunches, relocations. If you’re a Berkeley business with news, or a Berkeleysider who has spotted a change in your neighborhood or on your travels, shoot us an email with the details.