WELCOME STRANGER A new menswear store with distinctive buffalo signage is opening in the Elmwood at 2633 Ashby Ave., next door to the Dailey Method in the old Wright’s Garage building. Welcome Stranger SF already has a store on Gough Street in San Francisco, as its name suggests. The store’s wares are described as “upscale, rugged men’s apparel and goods,” and include brands like APC jeans, Barbour jackets, Rag & Bone T-shirts and Battenwear board shorts. Welcome Stranger also sells its own brand of shirts, chinos and waxed jackets. A member of the construction crew working on the build-out said the store was expected to open this week.
URBAN MATTRESS A new mattress and bedding retailer will open over Labor Day weekend at 1325 San Pablo Ave. just south of Gilman. Owner Todd Leslie says Urban Mattress, which was founded in Boulder, Colorado, in 2008, is “big enough to offer a great selection but small enough to really know its customers.” He says the store will cater as much to the college student wanting a natural alternative to a standard mattress, to those looking for the perfect certified organic selection for their master bedroom. A family business, Urban Mattress Berkeley will focus on natural and organic products sourcing quality options from North America and Europe. Leslie said the store will also organize partnerships with local nonprofit organizations, including Habitot Children’s Museum, Youth Spirit Artworks, and City Slicker Farms. Connect with Urban Mattress on Facebook or Twitter.
CARSON & KYUNG Law firm Carson & Kyung has opened a new office in downtown Berkeley at 15 Shattuck Square, Suite 208. It’s the second office for the firm, which is also in Sacramento. Founded in 2011 by Trevor Carson and Peter Kyung, the firm says it “brings an abundance of experience in bankruptcy, business and immigration,” and can provide virtual representation, too, through its online case management software. Carson says he and Kyung make every effort to be actively involved in the community and help bridge the gap between financial accessibility to legal services.
The following items first appeared Friday in our latest Nosh “Bites” column and have been reprinted below for those who may have missed it:
CASK ON COLLEGE IS OPEN Berkeley has a new upmarket liquor store with the opening of Cask at 3185 College Ave. We told you in March about plans by Future Bars, the group behind San Francisco cocktail bars Bourbon & Branch and Local Edition — as well as the forthcoming Tupper & Reed cocktail bar in the old Beckett’s space in Berkeley — to take over College Avenue Wine Spirits & Deli. The deed is done and, as Tablehooper reports, Cask on College is now up and running. Cask says it specializes “in curating a selection of hard-to-find, unusual, esoteric, and generally tasty wines, spirits, beers, and mixers, along with some interesting books and bar tools. We try our best to select only the best products that we can find, and we offer you our assurance that our buyers have tasted or used every product before they hit the shelves.” Connect with the business on its website and on Facebook.
FIELDWORK BREWING COMPANY We brought you news of a brewery slated for West Berkeley back in April. Now owners Far West have been in touch to tell us the name of the new destination for beer aficionados will be Fieldwork Brewing Company. The company has recently received its permits to build out the 10,212-square-foot industrial building at 1150 Sixth St. (at Harrison), and aims to open “sometime in 2015.” Via a note on Twitter posted July 23, “Use Permit arrived in the mail! Now we get to building a brewery and we’ll see you soon.” The goal is to produce over 310,000 gallons of beer a year and also open a restaurant and barrel-aging facility. Far West hopes to brew six year-round beers, limited release beers, and a series of barrel-aged sour beers and American wild ales. Food to accompany the brews might include cheese and charcuterie plates, fresh Acme breads and olive oils, Bavarian-style pretzels, sandwiches and flatbread pizzas, according to the Far West application, which has not yet been posted online. We’ll keep you posted as the project develops. Connect with Fieldwork on Twitter.
COST PLUS IN BERKELEY? Contrary to an earlier report, via Inside Scoop SF, that Cost Plus World Market had plans to open on Gilman Street in West Berkeley, the home decor, food and gift company says there are no such plans. Company spokeswoman Jill Osaka told Berkeleyside on Tuesday that the rumor is not true. Lots of other things are happening in West Berkeley, however, around Gilman Street: with Whole Foods having recently announced its opening date, a new Doughnut Dolly location, a brand new Philz Coffee shop and more. Check out recent Berkeleyside coverage of the Gilman District to learn more.
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.
