Category: Business

By Sara Beth Williams–
A new Vietnamese noodle bar and restaurant opened its doors last month at the corner of Sunrise Boulevard and Antelope Road.

The restaurant, LaSam Pho, named after the owner’s father, opened to the public on April 14 in the Sunrise Plaza, behind Walgreens, according to restaurant owner Jamie La. The location was formerly home to a Thai restaurant.

La said this is her first restaurant and that the process to open the restaurant took at least a year. La’s father, Sam La, sells Vietnamese spice and condiment mixes online, and she and her boyfriend wanted to expand the business and open a restaurant.

La said she wants people “to know what authentic traditional Vietnamese dishes taste like.”

LaSam Pho’s main dishes include Beef Pho, Chicken Pho, and Vege Pho, with the option to order a regular or kid’s size.  La recommends the Grilled Chicken served with French bread, for patrons not in the mood for soup. The restaurant also offers Vietnamese iced coffee, fruit smoothies, and Thai iced tea. Takeout, delivery, and online ordering are all available on the restaurant’s website.

Although business was slow for the first two weeks in operation, La said business has begun to pick up and she’s already seen an influx of return customers.

“I’m very excited to have this opportunity to share with the neighborhood,” La said.

LaSam Pho is located at 7777 Sunrise Blvd., suite #2200. Current hours of operation posted on the restaurant’s website are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, except Sundays when the opening time is at noon.

Sentinel staff report–
The Citrus Heights City Council on Thursday unanimously approved a required letter that will allow for a proposed beer house to obtain a license to sell alcohol.

A public hearing held prior to the council’s May 25 vote was uneventful, with only one public comment being voiced by a nearby resident.

“There are brewpubs everywhere: Roseville must have 50 of them, Sacramento County has countless, and Citrus Heights is kind of just an empty ‘blah’,” the resident said. “We need more businesses like this.”

Two representatives from Humle Beer House also spoke during the meeting, answering questions from the council about proposed hours of operations and other details.

“We’ve heard from a lot of people that are excited to bring craft beer to Citrus Heights and so we thought we’d bring it in a really professional way, and we’re excited — hopefully — to open our taproom,” said Owen Roswald, who told the council he is planning to open the taproom with a friend.

As previously reported, Humle Beer House is proposed to be located at 7086 Auburn Blvd., Suite 100, formerly home to a yogurt shop. According to documents submitted to the city, the establishment plans to offer up to 22 taps of craft beer for on and off-site consumption, with hours of operation beginning no earlier than 11 a.m. and closing no later than 9 p.m. on weekends.

Roswald confirmed the beer house does not have plans to offer food, at least initially. He also said closing hours could be extended at a later time, but said his goal is to not create “just another bar.” Music will be provided inside, but with no amplification.

The taproom is seeking a Type 42 alcohol license to serve locally crafted beer in a casual environment, but a staff report shows the area is currently deemed “over-concentrated” in terms of alcohol licenses by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC).

Due to the over-concentration classification, a Letter of Public Convenience and Necessity (PCN) from the City Council is needed before a license can be issued. The review process involves assessing site problems, criminal activity, building code compliance, health violations, and ABC complaints.

Although there are currently eight on-sale establishments within the census tract, only one is a bar, located 1.2 miles away from the proposed location, with the remainder being restaurants.

A letter from the Police Department attached to a city staff report indicates that a review was conducted which included inspection of the proposed site, review of nearby businesses with alcohol licenses, and analysis of previous calls at that location. The letter also stated that the site will be brightly lit, offering improved security, and that the Police Department “does not object” to alcohol sales being approved for the location.

By Phillip Pesola–
Following an uneventful public hearing on Wednesday, the Citrus Heights Planning Commission approved plans for the construction of a new Starbucks on Auburn Boulevard, just inside the city’s northern boundary.

Kevin Payne, a planning consultant who has been working with city staff and the project’s applicant, led the presentation and provided key details about the project. The project site, located south of the Auburn Boulevard and Whyte Avenue intersection, comprises three parcels totaling around 2.2 acres.

The project involves constructing a 2,241-square-foot building at 8540 Auburn Blvd. that will house a Starbucks with a drive-thru and indoor and outdoor seating options, including a 400 square foot plaza. While the existing retail space occupied by Tea It and Waggin’ Tails will remain, the plan includes removing the section currently occupied by a liquor store.

The site plan features a drive-thru that wraps around the building, with primary access from Auburn Boulevard and additional access points for traffic circulation. The presentation also addressed parking considerations, including the removal of parking spaces to accommodate vehicle stacking in the drive-thru.

The architect made revisions to enhance the building’s appearance, including faux windows to create a more attractive retail frontage, as well as various textures and architectural elements such as brick, stucco, metal veneer, and teak wood siding.

The project also necessitates a tree permit, as there are 51 trees on-site and in adjacent areas. Of these, nine protected trees are set to be removed, with seven eligible for mitigation. The project’s current mitigation plan involves compensating for the loss of 93 inches of oak tree foliage. However, an update will be required prior to the issuance of a building permit to account for any changes regarding tree preservation.

The project was found to align with the city’s general plan and zoning regulations. The environmental analysis concluded that the project qualifies for an infill exemption due to its small size (under five acres), being surrounded by urban uses, and adherence to the general plan and zoning regulations.

Following the presentation and a brief discussion to clarify minor project details, the Commission unanimously approved the required use, design review, and tree permits.

Some discussion was made regarding the number of Starbucks locations within a close proximity, with Citrus Heights already home to five locations. Commissioner Marcelle Flowers said she liked seeing development in an area she described as “an eyesore,” but said she was torn that nearby small businesses “might be impacted by this to some degree.”

A city planner said work on the project will not take place until the city begins work on street improvements for Auburn Boulevard, putting the timeline likely into 2024 to 2025.

On the other side of the county line in Roseville, the same applicant has also proposed a second 2,600-square-foot “quick serve restaurant” with a two-lane drive thru on an adjacent parcel the applicant also owns. That proposal will be separately reviewed by the City of Roseville.

By Mike Hazlip—
A discount wholesale business that opened in the former Smart and Final building has changed its name from Charity Shop to The Discount Store.

The business opened in July of 2021 offering discounted merchandise from big box retailers such as Lowe’s Home Depot, Target, Ashley Furniture, and Cost Plus World Market, according to a previous report by The Sentinel.

Owner Mike Scott told The Sentinel in an email last week that he started the business with his wife, initially working the business part-time while also operating a residential construction business. When the pandemic hit, the wholesale business took off, he said.

The original Charity Shop is still the parent company, Scott said, with the original goal of earning extra income and providing an avenue to donate goods to various charities. Customers were confused with the name however, prompting the re-brand.

“I think a lot of people saw our business or thought we were like a Goodwill,” Scott said. “So we ran into some challenges of people constantly wanting to drop donations off, assuming that all the merchandise we received we got for free.”

Citrus Heights is the second location for the business, and Scott says he’s built up a customer base that is helping the business while the Citrus Grove shopping center remains without a retail anchor tenant. A new online auction service is also helping to maintain revenue, he said. Auctions are every Friday through Sunday, and customers can pick up their items in the store.

“[W]e’re definitely excited about the future and continuing to grow,” Scott said.

The Citrus Grove shopping center on the 8400 block of Auburn Boulevard has seen several new businesses open in recent years, although little progress is being made on a theater reportedly invested in occupying the building abandoned by Studio Movie Grill, according to previous reports by The Sentinel.