SAME AGAIN General Appliance, at 2524 Shattuck Ave., which closed its doors in June after 72 years in business, has been replaced by Airport Home Appliance Annex which has branches in Redwood City and Hayward. (Hat tip: Rachel Anderson)
SWEET STUFF Berkeley’s Indie Cakes & Pastries started supplying Berkeley’s Saul’s Deli with pastries and cookies a couple of weeks ago. Indie’s cupcakes and macaroons can also be found at Good Bellies and Bica cafes in Oakland and at the Walnut Creek Farmers’ Market.
HIPPIE GYPSY Brand new: The Hippie Gypsy Café which has opened at 1797-A Shattuck in the space that used to be occupied by Village Grounds. The owner, Mary Dirks, wants to make customer service the centerpiece of her cafe, which has the theme “Peace, Love, and Music.” Customers can design their own salads and sandwiches, which are made with Berkeley Bowl produce. (Hat tip: Shoshana O’Keefe)
GOING ONLINE Lola, the home design store at 2950 College Ave. in the Elmwood, is closing down its retail operation after five years, and launching a home and event design and staging service, as well as an online shop. (Hat tip: Laura Scheflow)
CHEDDAR BUNNIES Annie’s Homegrown, producer of organic and natural foods, has settled into its new Berkeley headquarters, having moved from Napa to Berkeley this spring. The $100 million turnover company is in the 34,000 sq ft space formerly occupied by Clif Bar at 1610 Fifth Street. Clif Bar moved to Emeryville last year. Annie’s is hiring, too, with about a dozen current openings.
FRESH THAI New on the food scene: Thai restaurant Ta Krai Hom, which took over the old Digs Bistro site at 1453 Dwight Way. According to a Mercury News write-up, its easy-on-the-wallet menu features “green curry, crispy fried tofu, pad ka prow and shrimp skewers, threaded on lemon grass stalks.” Open daily for dinner.
LA DI DA Falala, a new green-certified falafel shop at 2518 Durant (at Telegraph), makes its own pita breads and uses only sustainable meats. One of its biggest fans is Liba Falafel owner Gail Lillian who buys bread from Falala, and says it’s “amazing.”
CURTAINS Looks like Stagecraft Studios, a costume and theater supplies shop that had been operating at 1854 Alcatraz Ave. in Berkeley since 1928, has closed its doors. (Hat tip: Joseph Ponder)
GRAND DESIGN Jewelry designers Viv & Ingrid (both Berkeley grads) have opened a store for their work as well as an eclectic mix of fancy soaps, candles, chocolates, scarves, perfumes and cards. It’s grandly called Viv & Ingrid at Oxford Hall.
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.
