In this week’s retail news, Target is set to unlock the doors to its first store in East Palo Alto, a new Korean restaurant quietly opens in downtown Palo Alto and an on-demand laundry startup is now in business.
RAVENSWOOD GETS ‘FLEXIBLE’… Target is set to open its first store in East Palo Alto in the former Sports Authority space at Ravenswood Shopping Center this month. The new site, emblazoned with the retailer’s signature red-and-white target-shaped logo across the front facade, is scheduled to open its doors at 1775 East Bayshore Road on July 23, according to signage outside the store. The Minneapolis-based company began hiring staff members in April but as of this week was still looking to fill various positions for its grocery department, in-store Starbucks, the backroom and the retail floor. The approximately 50,000-square-foot store is part of the company’s “flexible-format” stores (formerly called TargetExpress) that were introduced in 2014 for stores in smaller locations to provide “quick-trip shopping” and a selection of merchandise tailored specifically to meet the needs of locals. The store will offer health and beauty items; fresh groceries and grab-and-go items, such as sandwiches, salads, beverages and snacks; baby and kids’ products, including apparel, sporting goods and toys; home decor and storage items; men’s and women’s apparel; portable tech products; stationery and gift items; and services like Target’s mobile and order pickups. This is Target’s second small-format store to open along the Peninsula. The company opened its first one in Cupertino in 2016.
— E.A.
MAUM QUIETLY OPENS… Maum, a Korean restaurant that was supposed to open years ago in the former Apple Store on University Avenue in Palo Alto, has quietly opened just blocks away at 322 University Ave. Owner Patrick Tsui did not return several requests for comment, but social media posts indicate the restaurant — now a high-end, private dining concept — soft opened last month. An online job posting for a sous chef describes Maum as an upscale, private restaurant “serving an exclusive clientele searching for the highest quality of cuisine, drink, and service.” On June 8, Jaeson Ma, a talent manager and producer whose connection to the restaurant is unclear, posted on Instagram a photograph of the restaurant announcing the “soft launch” of the “east meets west private restaurant in the heart of Silicon Valley.” The photo shows a dining room with one long, immaculately set communal table and a small open kitchen in the back. On June 17, Ma posted more photos of the restaurant, with a group of diners — including none other than MC Hammer — and a series of dishes like caviar, oysters, sashimi, grilled meat and a bottle of Chablis Grand Cru wine. The restaurant has no signage outside yet and its front windows are tinted, preventing a view inside from the street.
— E.K.
LAUNDRY ON DEMAND… The Minneapolis on-demand laundry startup, Mulberrys Garment Care, opened its first Palo Alto store on July 7 at 2190 W. Bayshore Road in the former site of GreenStreets Cleaners & Tailors, which it acquired in January. Dan Miller, who launched the company in 2009, has been aggressively expanding throughout the Bay Area over the past year. Of the company’s 14 sites, nine are now located in the Bay Area; the other five are located in Minnesota. Miller said he considers the Silicon Valley area to be “among the most discerning markets in the U.S.” Mulberrys is one of few dry cleaners to offer on-demand service 24 hours a day. Customers can pick a day and time for laundry pickup, drop off garments on site 24-hours a day and request same-day service. The company also uses environmentally friendly laundry products and biodegradable and recycled packaging — something that has filled the company’s yelp pages with rave reviews. Miller said Mulberrys is an artisan-style dry cleaners, meaning all garments are treated on site by the Mulberrys staff.
— E.A.
Compiled by the Weekly staff; this week written by Elinor Aspegren and Elena Kadvany. Got leads on interesting and news-worthy retail developments? The Weekly will check them out. Email shoptalk@paweekly.com.
By Palo Alto Weekly staff
By Palo Alto Weekly staff
By Palo Alto Weekly staff
I don’t want to ruin anyone’s party here, but I do believe that the retail strip on University (and the general “downtown”) needs to be open to the “public.” How ever they go about might be the tricky thing, but it cannot be a “private” space. That is something a lawyer should start taking a look at. And the City should have figured out whether to grant is a permit or not.
I don’t want to ruin anyone’s party here, but I do believe that the retail strip on University (and the general “downtown”) needs to be open to the “public.” How ever they go about this might be the tricky thing, but it cannot be a “private” space. That is something a lawyer should start taking a look at. And the City should have figured out whether to grant is a permit or not based on their declared ‘use’ of the space.
I agree that University Ave is a very limited resource and we would benefit more from public venues. The 1% can get what ever they want.
I’m not sure why this type of business would want to pay the rent for University Ave for a restaurant that will not be open to the public. But I guess the high enderswill pay the rent.
I agree re Maum. Ground floor retail means retail, open to the public.
Hooray for our new Target store!
My first thought also. Has the Planning Department issued a permit for an unauthorized use? During various discussions about commercial uses on University the council have been clear that these businesses must be open to the public. Or has the Planning Department issued a permit for a private club because anyone can be granted membership? Rather like paying to attending a yoga studio class.
Also, I thought that first floor interiors on designated retail streets must be visible through the window. This came up when the council discussed which streets around the Cal Ave retail core should be included, and whether the businesses on Cambridge Avenue were allowed to have tinted windows because it makes a retail street so uninviting for pedestrians. Of course, by the time the council got around to discussing protecting Cambridge retail it had already been gutted by what look like tech offices with opaque windows. All that was left beside the grocery market, PO and pharmacy near the train tracks were a few beauty salons, a barber, and a tea shop at the other end. It had clearly been a long time since any of them had taken a look at Cambridge. It’s called shutting the barn door after the horse has bolted.
Of course, the developers of the new building on California Avenue, where the French Laundry people plan to open a restaurant, were discovered to have exceeded their building permit by 800 square feet so the Planning Department invented a new code especially for their building after the fact. Are developers taking notice that next time they can do the same thing now that the precedent has been set? Wonder if I can exceed my allowed lot coverage square footage and then ask the Planning Department to make a special code exception after the fact for me also?
What? If that “Restaurant “ will not be open to the public on University ave, then it should be re-addressed !! What about on the top of Portola Valley mountains ? Or in the middle of Atherton ? Also it can be on an island !!
Most people here in Bay Area are not rich but doesn’t mean that we can not save our money for to go to a nice restaurant on a B-day or anniversary!
Private “Restaurants “ on public streets are some kind of discrimination too !!
Target store is very welcome to East Palo Alto ! Finally EPA is getting better…!
We just need a Pier, a Mall and movie theater for to be completely happy !! 🙂
Can Elena translate what the issue is about Maui?
How is it different than the restaurant at California and Park?
Baume is indeed expensive; but it is open to the public for dinner only by appointment only.
Maim is for Korean diners who are very wealthy only!
I think Maum restaurant serves exotic food that just very eccentric rich people can enjoy. Since is a Korean restaurant I can imagine how exotic it can be…! I just made a research on Youtube about Korean gourmet and believe me, is not just caviar… they can cook everything! ….no thanks!
It is just me or this restaurant’s name sound like “Meow” ?
By the way, there are a lot of great restaurants around of Bay Area too ! Let’s name it here ! 😉
Ms. Dietrich above states, “I can imagine how exotic it can be…Korean gourmet and believe me, is not just caviar… they can cook everything! ….no thanks!…It is just me or this restaurant’s name sound like “Meow”?”
Yes, Ms. Dietrich – I think it’s just you – Your comments are a thinly veiled racist innuendo about eating pet animals. “Maum” sounds nothing like “Meow”. Or did you mean “BowWow”?
I believe the PA Online Town Square should remove Ms. Dietrich’s offensive comments.
My apologies to Peta if in any way she felt offered for what I wrote. Is known for everybody that some cultures in Asia, Latinoamerica and some Island have a very extended variety in food that is not usual on other countries. With just a little research on internet we can get this knowledge. My son loves frog’s legs and is the first thing he choice in Chinese restaurants and I just can’t eating them thinking in a little poor frog watching me with his big eyes !! No, thanks!
Eating wherever people want is a choice and I’m sure that if and apocalypse of zombies happen in USA, I will die for a zombie bite rather then eat worms or snakes to survive…! 🙁
Ms. Dietrich – Your apologies might be better accepted by many Americans of Asian descent if you hadn’t added “Is it just me or this restaurant’s name sound like ‘Meow'”. That steps over the line into pet animal territory and promotes Anti-Asian xenophobic sentiments from some. You could have made your original point without that statement. In fact, there are plenty of Korean restaurants in the Bay Area that only serve food acceptable to American tastes, so it begs the question of why you would single out Maum – it’s not even in your city. It’s so easy to make comments like that – whether intentionally or not – that promote racial divisiveness like in 1930s Germany – we all surely do not want to go back there. Let’s promote world unity instead, especially during these times of change in America.
OMG Ms Peta ! Sadly I can see that my apologies didn’t work with you (“People who can’t forgive… “ This is some kind of hate too !) I think if what I will tell you do not works then I will invite you to dinner at my house.
My recently ADN results shows a big diversity and trust me, part of me is Korean too, so, that’s means that it is impossible for me to be xenophobic.
I love diversity and I can see beauty in all cultures!
Sometimes I am a little sarcastic or trying to be funny but never xenophobic. Where is the sense of humor ?
I’ll invite everybody to do the ADN test, there are a lot of surprising information in your origins !!
Have a great weekend everybody! 🙂
Ms Die – You still haven’t owned up to your insinuating remark of eating pets, and want to cast yourself as a humorous, light-hearted person who was just joking. Well those types of jokes are NOT funny to those offended – and I challenge you to find any of your Asian friends that think that was funny. I don’t hate you – I just find people like you need to be called out on your unconscious remarks that show little respect for others. Just don’t do this sort of thing any more and we can call it a day.
As for your ADN results, if you do have Korean blood – your remark of “THEY eat everything” certainly doesn’t reflect it. I challenge you to publish the results here.
“Yes, Ms. Dietrich – I think it’s just you – Your comments are a thinly veiled racist innuendo about eating pet animals. “Maum” sounds nothing like “Meow”. Or did you mean “BowWow”?”
What do you expect? Despite Palo Alto’s veneer of tolerance and civilization, it is quite the racist town. Anti-Asian bigotry regularly rears its ugly head on Town Square. That it is tolerated here only encourages more of the same. Given that this is a heavily censored forum, that leads me to believe such comments reflect the views of the management.
“It’s so easy to make comments like that – whether intentionally or not – that promote racial divisiveness like in 1930s Germany – we all surely do not want to go back there.”
Oh, I think it is quite intentional and the comparison apt. There really are people who want to go back there, just with a different ethnic group being the target.