Kobing Dessert Studio is open at 6001 San Juan Ave., in Citrus Heights. // S. Williams
By Sara Beth Williams–
Kobing Dessert Studio has opened its doors for business at 6001 San Juan Ave.
According to owner David Hong, the independently owned cafe officially opened Aug. 1, in a suite formerly occupied by BeanHeads coffee shop.
Hong said in a previous interview with The Sentinel that his wife, Sang Joo, had the idea to open the business. He told Sentinel staff on Wednesday that the café had a soft opening in July, but said not many people know his business has opened.
According to the cafe’s Google listing as well as several Yelp reviewers, Kobing serves authentic Korean desserts, including unique soft serve ice cream flavors and bingsu, a milk-based shaved ice dessert with toppings. Kobing’s menu also features other desserts, coffees, and teas with or without Boba.
Kobing currently holds a 5-star rating on Google and an average 4.9-star rating from more than 20 reviewers on Yelp. Reviewers praise the selection of various authentic Korean desserts that are difficult to find elsewhere.
Hong, who is from South Korea, said he learned how to create authentic Korean desserts from several friends from the Bay Area who operate a similar shop. Hong said he and his family lived in the Bay Area before moving to the area to open Kobing Dessert Studio.
The suite was formerly the home of BeanHeads, but has been vacant since the coffee shop closed its doors last fall after just a year in business.
Kobing joins another Boba tea shop in Citrus Heights called Tea It, along with several other coffee shops and cafes.
The Starbucks-anchored center at Sunrise Boulevard and Sungarden Drive will soon be home to two additional tenants. // M. Hazlip
By Mike Hazlip—
A new restaurant and salon are reportedly planning to open in the remainder of a Starbucks-anchored building that has been vacant since construction was completed in 2021.
The Sacramento Business Journal reported the owner of Vietnamese restaurant Huong Lan Sandwiches has signed a lease for a site in Copperwood Square. The lease is for a 5,400 square-foot space that will specialize in Vietnamese sandwiches, owner Tim Lam told The Journal.
The restaurant will occupy about half of the vacant space, with a hair and nail salon owned by the same family set to open in the remaining suites, The Journal reported. Renovations are expected to begin soon for a six-month timeline before opening.
A website for the South Sacramento based business lists sandwiches, appetizers, noodle soups, pho, and beef stews. Most sandwiches are in the $5 range while entrees are between $10 to $15.
Huong Lan will join Mexican restaurant R Vida Cantina, and recently opened El Boritracho, a restaurant that serves a “fusion” of different Central American dishes. The adjacent Copperwood Square is also home to FoodMaxx, Dollar Tree and Planet Fitness.
Construction at the location near Sunrise Boulevard and Sungarden Drive was completed in the first quarter of 2021 with the coffee chain moving into the anchor suite immediately after the project was finished. The remaining suites have been vacant since that time, according to The Sentinel.
The site at 7056 Sunrise Blvd. was formerly home to a multi-story bank building, which sat vacant for several years before being demolished. A 2017 report by The Sentinel shows outcry from residents over a proposed ARCO station on that corner led to a change in plans, paving the way for the Starbucks building.
Residents opposed to the ARCO cited concerns over increased crime, loitering, lighting, traffic, location, proposed liquor sales, and whether there was a need for a new gas station and 24-hour convenience store in an area they argued was already “saturated.”
See’s Candies new flagship location is now open in Citrus Heights at 5499 Sunrise Blvd. // M. Hazlip
Updated Aug. 22, 1:08 p.m.– By Mike Hazlip— The long anticipated See’s Candies store at Sunrise Boulevard and Uplands Way is now serving customers amid the closure of the company’s Sunrise Mall location.
An employee at the new location confirmed their first day was Monday, August 9. A steady stream of customers was observed at the location during a visit by Sentinel staff on Tuesday afternoon.
Building owner Tallen Capital Partners purchased the property in May and worked with See’s Candies on a long-term lease, according to CEO Terrence Tallen.
The building is now back on the market and Tallen told The Sentinel in an Aug. 1 interview that the property will make an attractive asset for future buyers.
“It’s a real jewel box,” Tallen said of the building. “I think that someone looking for passive investments, it would be a great opportunity, investment opportunity for someone.”
Tallen said his company leased the property to See’s while still in a due diligence period to acquire the property, calling it “a really nice set of circumstances that came about for See’s Candies, and of course, for us.”
See’s location inside Sunrise Mall was reportedly the company’s first million-dollar retail store, Tallen said, a factor that made Citrus Heights an attractive location for the new operation at what Tallen called “the best hard corner in all of Citrus Heights.”
Ongoing redevelopment of the adjacent Sunrise Village by Merlone Geier is another factor that Tallen said will have a positive impact on the property, describing the redevelopment as “fabulous.” New tenants at the village include Starbucks, Firehouse Subs, and Club Studio Fitness.
The Sentinel previously reported a grocer is slated for the remaining anchor space.
The aging Sunrise Village property was purchased by San Francisco-based Merlone Geier in 2017, with renovation plans approved in 2020. Changes at the 15-acre plaza have included demolition of several buildings, including the former Coco’s restaurant and Benihana. Exterior facades have also been added, along with modifications to existing roof lines to modernize the center.
The storefront at Sunrise Mall once home to See’s Candies now stands vacant. // M. Hazlip
By Mike Hazlip—
One of Sunrise Mall’s long-standing tenants has closed up shop, after decades of business in the same location.
The well-worn corner near the Women’s Macy’s that was home to See’s Candies for more than 40 years is now vacant with a sign on the door that reads “We’re closing but don’t worry, we’re still close by!”
The last day for the business was Saturday, July 22, according to the posted information. Shoppers were referred to the nearest open location at 1825 Douglas Blvd., in Roseville.
The Sentinel could not confirm if the shop was one of the first mall tenants, but a business license that once hung behind the register dated back to the early days of Sunrise Mall, an employee previously told The Sentinel.
The closure comes as the company is set to open a new flagship store in the former Patelco building in Sunrise MarketPlace. The new 10,621-square-foot, two-story location will include a retail shop, corporate offices, and a business-to-business operations unit for corporate sales, according to a previous report by The Sentinel.
Brothers Nick and Steven Castangia stand in front of their newly opened restaurant, 916 Pizza, in Citrus Heights. // M. Hazlip
By Mike Hazlip—
Opening a pizzeria is the culmination of a culinary dream for brothers Nick and Steven Castangia, who have brought a flavor of their Italian heritage to Citrus Heights.
Nick Castangia told The Sentinel in an Aug. 2 interview that he opened 916 Pizza with his brother. The business is in the suite formerly occupied by the similarly named “701 Pizza,” at 6916 Sunrise Blvd. and has been operating for about four months, he said. Although 916 Pizza uses some of the same equipment from the former pizzeria, Castangia says the recipes and ownership are all new.
Castangia said he and his brother are following in the footsteps of their father who works as a chef in San Francisco. Castangia said he grew up in the restaurant industry and started as a bus boy working for his father. The 916 Pizza restaurant is his first business, he said.
“Growing up, seeing him be a chef was kind of something we always looked up to on holidays,” Castangia said. “He was always the one cooking, bringing everyone together. Everybody wanted to come to our house because of the food he was cooking. I think growing up we just realized that food was kind of what brought our family together.”
Most of the family is in Castangia’s home country of Italy, he said, and the recipes for 916 Pizza are “100 percent” Italian. The brothers are from the island of Sardinia where they learned how to cook.
“Down to the sauce and everything we do is basically how our dad taught us to cook,” he said. “Everything there is about purity, simple ingredients, fresh ingredients. And that’s how we learn how to cook everything. So that’s kind of what we brought here with us.”
After starting in the industry at age 19, Castangia said he has spent time as a bus boy, server, food waiter, and bartender. Despite an uncertain economy, Castangia said it was the right time for him to open 916 Pizza.
“I’m definitely proud of when we got here,” he said. “It was it wasn’t easy getting it, especially with the way the economy is going right now. I see more businesses closing down than opening up. So our timing wasn’t perfect, but it never really is in life anyway.”
The name for the business is an effort to represent the area where Castangia said he and his family are starting over.
“Sacramento, being my brother and I’s new home where we basically wanted to restart our life, we wanted to represent the area we now call home,” he said. “So we called it 916 Pizza.”
“We’re just glad to help bring some of the culinary stuff our dad taught us. We’ve got a recipe that goes all the way back to his mom and our grandparents in Sardinia from an island that most people will never be able to taste in their life.”
The restaurant currently offers traditional pizza options such as combination, pepperoni, and Hawaiian, but Castangia said they are adding new menu options in the near future.
“The cooking style is basically everything we do here,” he said. “And as we expand the menu we’re slowly introducing new items, we just added cannelloni to the menu today. We’re going to start doing lasagnas and everything from desserts like tiramisu in the future; having some kind of cookies and pastries that they do in Sardinia. We’re excited to bring it all.”
MealPro Chef Dan Catanio teaches student Kobe Bassett how to make a soup. // M. Hazlip
By Mike Hazlip—
A Citrus Heights-based meal preparation company is working with a local nonprofit to provide culinary training to students and youths with disabilities, enabling them to begin a career in the restaurant industry.
As part of a partnership with Pride Industries, MealPro Chef Dan Catanio teaches the classes and said students will be able to get an entry-level job at a restaurant, with participants receiving a Food Handler certificate and a program diploma at the end of the program.
The program lasts two weeks, with students learning at MealPro’s facility several hours per day, four days a week, at 7421 Greenback Ln., Catanio said.
“They’re learning the basics of prep work to go out in the industry to get a job, that’s what this whole program is about,” Catanio said, adding that the classes are open to students outside of Pride Industries. “I teach them the basic fundamentals, then they go and knock on the doors.”
With over 40 years in the industry, Catanio said he is back in his home state after traveling across the country working as a saucier at The Waldorf-Astoria in New York, and later serving as executive chef at the Country Club of Little Rock, before becoming the corporate chef of Restaurant Central and then traveling the United States with Compass Group.
“My passion now is just to teach, to get people in the industry, to build a stronger industry — because there’s a lot of restaurants that are in need of people that they’re so short of jobs. So this is what they’re learning, the skills to knock on the door.”
Catanio said the demand for cooks is high in the industry, and he hopes his students will be able to move up and learn new skills.
Brothers Issac and Stephen Lewis joined Kobe Bassett as the first students in the program this year. Bassett said he has thought of opening his own restaurant one day.
Catanio said the money generated by students outside of Pride Industries goes back into the program. There are also plans to market the sauces produced at the facility to bring in additional revenue for the program.
MealPro Founder Andy Sartori said he dedicated the kitchen space for the program after acquiring the building where his business has been operating since 2020. Sartori called the facility a “test kitchen,” and said none of the recipes made there are distributed to MealPro customers. He provides the facility to students at no charge.
“We donate the space, we donate the facilities at no cost, we do it completely free, because that can be a challenge when you’re learning,” Sartori said. “It’s like, how do I learn it in a space and how do you make it feasible? So that’s our contribution to Pride.”
Pride Industries has a career hub located in Citrus Heights at 7011 Sylvan Rd., where the organization helps prepare individuals for employment and develop a career path. The nonprofit was founded in 1966, with a mission to create employment for people with disabilities.
Sartori said MealPro has hired workers from Pride Industries as well as other similar organizations, and students from Catanio’s program may be eligible for an entry level job at MealPro.
For Catanio, the opportunity to give back to the community and help train students is a rewarding part of his career.
“There’s no other satisfying joy… to make sure that they get jobs out there in the industry,” Catanio said. “And you made it happen by giving some of my talent to them to go spread it to other people and to be a part of the food industry (and) keep it going strong.”
More information about the job training program can be found at mealpro.net.
Construction fencing with “Purpose Built” signage can be seen outside the former Pier 1 Imports building in Citrus Heights. // M. Hazlip
Updated 5:10 p.m., Aug 3rd–
By Mike Hazlip— A portion of the building next to Buffalo Wild Wings in Citrus Heights that was once home to Pier 1 Imports is under construction in preparation for a new tenant.
Sunrise MarketPlace Executive Director Kathilynn Carpenter confirmed that clothing store Purpose Built Trade Co. is planning to open a new location at 6245 Sunrise Blvd. The business lists four other locations in Pleasant Hill, Livermore, Oakley, and Modesto on its website.
Purpose Built offers workwear brands such as Carhartt, Dickies, and Wrangler at their retail locations. The company bills itself as “Your local industrial outfitter committed to working hard to support the Trades and Blue Collar life.”
The site is currently surrounded by construction fencing, and crews are working on the interior. The location shares a parking lot with Red Lobster, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Texas Roadhouse. Chuck E. Cheese, Glamor Lash and Brow, and National Career Education occupy a building across the parking lot.
Pier 1 Imports shuttered in Citrus Heights in 2020, according to a previous report by The Sentinel. The national retail chain closed nearly half of its stores after a January earnings report showed a 13.3 percent drop in net sales for the third quarter of 2019. Six months later, in June 2020, CNN reported Pier 1 moved to officially close its remaining stores and filed for bankruptcy.
A home at 7534 Sycamore Drive sold last month for $1.09 million. // M. Hazlip
By Mike Hazlip—
A home in Citrus Heights sold last month for $1,090,000 after the listing was on and off the market since the pandemic, records show.
Records on Realtor.com show the 4,221-square-foot home in the 7500 block of Sycamore Drive was most recently listed in May for $1.19 million, before selling on June 29 for $100,000 under asking price. The home has five bedrooms and three bathrooms, according to the listing.
The home was built in 2018 and occupies a large, .83-acre lot near Auburn Boulevard. Although the home is not located in a neighborhood with similar estates, the listing shows the home has amenities in league with other million-dollar offerings, such as 21-foot ceilings, tile floors, a master bath with quartz vanity, raindrop shower and air jets in the tub.
Records show the home was first listed on Nov. 16, 2020 for $1,050,000 but was taken off the market in December after a 5 percent price drop. It was listed again in June last year for $1,299,000, the highest price recorded for the property, and had two pending sales after dropping to $1,249,000, but was pulled off the market again in September 2022.
Million-dollar listings are rare in Citrus Heights, where the most expensive home currently listed on the residential real estate site Zillow is in the 8100 block of Glen Canyon Ct. The $899,000 asking price will buy a 2,728 square foot four-bedroom, three-bathroom home on .43 acres with a gated entrance.
The building at 5499 Sunrise Blvd., soon to be home to See’s Candies, is up for sale at $6.1M. // M. Hazlip
By Mike Hazlip—
A building on Sunrise Boulevard soon to be home to See’s Candies, is now on the market for $6,112,000, according to a recent listing on commercial real estate site LoopNet.
Renovation work is currently under way to make the 10,621-square-foot, two-story building a See’s Candies flagship store. See’s has a 15-year lease, according to the listing.
A sales brochure released jointly by commercial real estate firms CP Partners, Retail Pacific and Tallen Capital Partners, says the asset is 100 percent leased with a land area of just under one acre. The site is at the corner of Sunrise Boulevard and Uplands Way in the Sunrise Marketplace.
The site is located on the same block as the Sunrise Village center where redevelopment work began two years ago, according to a previous report by The Sentinel. Several new businesses have opened at the center, including a Starbucks drive-thru and Firehouse Subs.
The brochure shows a large, unnamed “grocer” occupying a suite next to Joann Fabrics. Club Studio is shown as a fitness center occupying a second anchor space in the center.
Sunrise Village remains home to Olive Garden, Wienerschnitzel, and Rite Aid. The aging property was purchased by San Francisco-based Merlone Geier in 2017, with renovation plans approved in 2020. Changes at the 15-acre plaza have included demolition of several buildings, including the former Coco’s restaurant and Benihana. Exterior facades have also been added, along with modifications to existing roof lines to modernize the center.
Royal International Market is now open at 8036 Greenback Lane. // M. Hazlip
By Mike Hazlip—
Another vacant storefront in Citrus Heights has now been filled, as Royal International Market opened this month at 8036 Greenback Ln.
The store offers a variety of products from the Middle East and Asia, and is a family owned business managed by three brothers. Two of the brothers, Murteza and Muhammed Jafari, spoke with The Sentinel about their new business.
At just 15, Muhammed Jafari helps his older brothers communicate with English speaking customers and translated for 28-year-old Murteza Jafari. The business is a combination of a market and deli along with a restaurant that will open soon. Murteza Jafari said the family opened the business to serve the community in a location that is closer to home.
The family was driving 25 to 30 minutes from Sacramento to get the Persian food and ingredients. Muhammed Jafari said the market stocks food from Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran, and India.
“It’s not for one country, it’s for everybody,” Murteza Jafari said.
The biggest challenge in opening the market has been in getting items to stock the shelves, Jafari said. The months-long permit process was also a challenge for the business, he said.
Jafari is now working to open the restaurant portion of the business. He has set aside part of the space and added decorative lighting along with tables and chairs to accommodate diners.
With his parents originally from Afghanistan, Jafari was born in Iran and then moved to Turkey before coming to the United States. Jafari said the United States has more opportunity than his homeland.
“Every country has a similar situation, the U.S.A is better,” he said. “You can open a business, the U.S.A. gives you any chance for business.”
Royal International Market joins Valencia’s Carniceria Taqueria to offer authentic ethnic foods in the shopping center at the corner of Greenback Lane and Sunrise Vista Drive, near Fair Oaks Boulevard. The shopping center is part of Sunrise Marketplace, and is also home to City Appliances and Matthew’s Mattress.
Sunrise Marketplace Executive Director Kathilynn Carpenter said she expects the business will have a positive impact on the area.
“This is a great addition to the food options in the District, the store/restaurant offers a unique variety of authentic middle eastern food,” Carpenter said. “We are excited to see the long vacant space filled with this exciting new business.”
The building has sat vacant since Flaming Mountain buffet closed its doors. A fire damaged the building in 2021 with fire investigators calling the cause “suspicious.”
A shopping cart was found near the origin of the fire and Police Lt. Michael Wells told The Sentinel in a Feb. 2021 email that “it is unknown if the fire was intentionally set to ignite the building, or possibly transients utilizing the cart for a fire to keep warm.”
