NEW CAFE AT BAM After a short tenure by Remedy Coffee (which also has a space on Telegraph in Oakland), Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive (BAM/PFA)’s café on the first floor has been taken over and is now called Babette. The light-filled, concrete-walled space, which gives onto an open courtyard, opened under its new moniker on January 3rd and is serving rustic food — think pulled pork and spicy coleslaw sandwiches and lentil and red chard soup — along with coffee from Ritual and housemade sodas. Husband and wife team Joan Ellis and Patrick Hooker, who live in Berkeley and have 20-plus years of cooking and catering experience under their belts, are at the helm. Babette is open for breakfast and lunch during the week, and coffee and pastries at the weekend. Follow Babette on its Facebook page for menu updates and other news. Babette is accessible through a gate to the right of the museum’s Bancroft Way entrance, and from 2625 Durant Avenue. (Hat tip: Lisa Sibony)
TELEGRAPH CLOSURES Tipsters tell us two clothing stores on Telegraph have shut up shop. Women’s clothing store Wet Seal has closed according to Bryan Garcia. Wet Seal, which was at 2360 Telegraph near Durant, specialized in fashion for teens and young women. Meanwhile, according to John Tortorice, Moroccan, Indian and Indonesian imports boutique Tienda Ho has also shuttered. “Bummer. They were a nice store; 40 years old, according to the sign,” writes Tortorice.
ADIEU IN KENSINGTON French restaurant Post Meridian, which was just over the Berkeley frontier in Kensington, has closed, according to a news alert on the Berkeley Area Restaurant Guide. Post Meridian, which was on Colusa Circle, specialized in French bistro-influenced food.
COMFY PETS Molly Mutt, which makes stylish dog bed duvets with an emphasis on sustainability, has opened its office and warehouse HQ at 675 Cedar Street near the railway tracks in west Berkeley. Molly Mutt was launched three years ago by Molly Mundt and Art Simon and the move represents a consolidation of the company’s warehouse which was in San Leandro and former office space in Emeryville. Simon says Molly Mutt’s products are sold on over 1,000 pet stores and websites, including their own. [Hat tip: Sue Tomasello.]
Shop Talk is our 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. Read previous Shop Talk columns here.
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