In this week’s retail column, find out where cult-workout favorite Barry’s Bootcamp is opening in Palo Alto plus a new teenage girls’ clothing store at Town & Country Village and a sushi restaurant’s new name and menu.
‘BOOTCAMP’ JOINS MALL … Barry’s Bootcamp, the indoor fitness studio known for its low lighting, loud music and high-energy vibe, is bringing its 50-minute cardio/strength-training sessions to Stanford Shopping Center. On April 13, Shawn Anderson from MSA Planning + Design in San Francisco filed for a conditional-use permit on behalf of Barry’s to allow for an exercise studio at the mall that will include locker rooms, a “FuelBar” and a retail area. It’s taking over a space on the Quarry Road side of the mall, near Pressed Juicery. This will be Barry’s 34th location across four countries and the fourth Bay Area studio, according to the company’s website. MSA has overseen the company’s expansion in the Bay Area, including three locations in San Francisco. Since launching in West Hollywood in 1998, the studio has gained cult-like status in the fitness world, attracting a clientele that includes celebrities such as Kim Kardashian. Workout classes — available for purchase in packages or as drop-ins — combine running on a treadmill and strength-training with weights to target different parts of the body each day and get clients into shape fast.
ONE BRANDY MELVILLE CLOSES, ONE OPENS … Palo Alto’s original Brandy Melville store at Stanford Shopping Center abruptly closed its doors at the end of March, days before the anticipated grand opening of the trendy teen retailer’s second location just down the street at Town & Country Village. A spokeswoman for Stanford Shopping Center, where the Italian clothing company made its Palo Alto debut in The Plaza area of the mall in May 2015, said its closure was unrelated to the opening of the new Brandy Melville site near LaBelle Day Spas & Salon at 855 El Camino Real. The retailer celebrated the grand opening of its new store on Saturday, April 15, according to a company announcement on Instagram that garnered 123,066 likes from dedicated millennials. The new shop has “much more space” than the one at Stanford, according to a store employee at Town & Country. Brandy Melville is known for its “one-size-fits-most” (aka size small) tank tops, loose T-shirts, long cardigans, short shorts and other apparel mostly priced under $40 and made popular by celebrities including Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift. The company, which has 21 locations in California as well as more nationwide and in Canada, Europe and Asia, was included in Business Insider’s list of 33 companies that are “revolutionizing retail.” Research firm Piper Jaffray called Brandy Melville one of the brands with the fastest-growing popularity among teens, especially online.
SHOJI CHANGES NAME, MENU …
The owner of Shoji Sushi on University Avenue in Palo Alto has reopened the Japanese restaurant with a new name and expanded menu. Ichimi Sushi now has ramen on the menu as well as traditional Japanese bento-box lunches, sashimi, domburi and specialty house rolls. This is the second time owner Zitao Zheng has changed menus and names since moving into 201 University Ave. in October 2015. The restaurant briefly departed from its sit-down service and tried a self-service concept with a menu that featured mostly ramen and rolls under the name Ichimi Ramen and Rolls earlier this spring. In mid-April, the restaurant changed its name to Ichimi Sushi, according to building-permit records. The restaurant’s new concept appears to combine the Shoji sit-down service (it was hiring restaurant servers this month) with the ramen menu it offered as Ichimi Ramen and Rolls.
–Compiled by the Weekly staff; this week written by Linda Taaffe.
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