YOLO BERRY YOGURT Yolo Berry Yogurt is moving into the old AT&T spot at 2114 Shattuck Ave. — because there is clearly no such thing as too many fro-yo places in a college town, particularly if you’re going to be situated close to a giant open-campus high school, right? Yolo Berry Yogurt, which follows the formula of offering self-serve yogurt with your choice of toppings — was founded by Lee Pflugrath in Davis and this will be the second site for the company.
BERKELEY BIOLABS Berkeley BioLabs, a “hackubator” focused on the development of new biotechnologies, therapeutics, diagnostics and medical devices, has opened up at 600 Bancroft Way, almost on the bay in West Berkeley. The small bio-hacker/incubator space has around 10 benches for proto companies and individual scientists who want to get to their proof of concept quickly. Berkeley BioLabs also offers scientific and business mentoring. The company is currently accepting applications from scientists interested in “accelerating the pace of innovation in medicine through collaborative co-working in a shared biotech lab space.” For details, visit the Berkeley BioLabs website.
OCTOBERFEAST OctoberFeast bakery at 1954 University has closed. They shuttered before we were able to find out the whys and wherefores, but at least one loyal customer will miss them. Writing on Yelp, Toni M. said: “They made exceptional breads, dense, heavy and delicious and we loved their pretzel croissants.”
ASSISTED TRANSITION Linda Jacobson has started a new complimentary, senior-advisory service in Berkeley that helps to match up seniors with community housing and care. “Berkeley and our surrounding towns are full of “person-centered” innovators in the senior-care field,” Jacobson said. “It’s important and inspirational that our local senior-care professionals all focus on the human spirit, not on age, not on limitations, but on the essence of each individual and what makes one happy. So far, there’s no app for that— just the human interface.” The goal of Assisted Transition is to help you understand, save time, and narrow your choice of senior living options. The service is free because fees are paid by participating communities and providers in Assisted Transition’s national network. For details visit Assisted Transition online.
BERKELEY RESOLE AND BITCOIN The ancient art of shoemaking is now paired with the ultra modern payment of bitcoin. Berkeley Resole, run by Tom Wandall in the former Marmot Mountain Works building, is accepting bitcoins as well as traditional money for its services. Berkeley Resole repairs climbing shoes, men’s and women’s dress shoes, Birkenstocks, and other sandals, as well as leather goods. It’s the first Berkeley business we have heard of that accepts the new digital currency. Let us know if you have come across others! Berkeley Resole is at 3051 Adeline St. and on Facebook.
Shop Talk is our regular column in which we post updates on Berkeley businesses. 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, and check out Bites for the latest East Bay restaurant news.
