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Category: Business

  • New kids playhouse opens in Citrus Heights shopping center

    Ely’s Play House, at 7777 Sunrise Blvd., opened Nov. 17 and features a variety of kids play areas. // S. Williams

    By Sara Beth Williams–
    A new indoor playground celebrated its grand opening last month at the corner of Antelope Road and Sunrise Boulevard in Citrus Heights.

    Ely’s Play House employee Lizeth Quevedo said a grand opening featured cookies and coupons to local restaurants. After being open for less than one month, the kids’ play center already has a full slate of birthday parties booked through the end of December.

    The former location used to be home to Yippie’s Playcenter, which opened in 2019, but closed less than a year later.

    According to the center’s website, Ely’s Play House is designed for infants and children up to eight years old and admission is $15 for one child with one free adult entry. Siblings are $10 each.

    After thoroughly inspecting the existing, two-level play structure, which had been custom-ordered by the previous owner, new business owner Riyleen Singh chose to lease and keep the original play structure.

    Along with the brightly colored play structure, the 6,000-square-foot space includes another playroom for younger toddlers with a toddler slide, small play houses and other toys, an infant “crawler” room and an open area with seating for birthday parties. Families can also purchase snacks at a small snack bar.

    Singh said inspiration for opening the new indoor playground was her three-year-old daughter, for which the business is named after.

    “This is her playhouse. I’m just an employee,” Singh said, adding that her daughter frequently joins her during the weekends at the Play House.

    Singh said she takes safety seriously and follows all CDC guidelines. During the day, staff regularly sanitize with organic products safe for children, and after closing, staff thoroughly sanitize all playrooms and structures with a 10 percent bleach solution.

    Nearby businesses have been very supportive and encouraging, Singh said. Quevedo also said feedback from the community regarding Ely’s Play House has been “amazing.”

    When asked about community concerns regarding the location of the play center, Singh said homelessness is still an issue in the shopping center overall, but noted a nearby sports bar has tight security and there have been no problems affecting her business.

    Ely’s Play House offers monthly memberships, which include free unlimited visits and entry into weekly classes like Learn to Dance and ASL signing for toddlers. The center also offers birthday packages.

    Prices on their website range from $170 for the smallest package to $550 for a private party, which includes food, party decor and drinks for up to 20 children. Party add-ons are also available, including the option to add costumed characters, at $180 each.

    Each party can be customized to the customer’s theme of choice. Ely’s staff said themed parties thus far have included princess, mermaid and Roblox, to name a few. A full list of available birthday party themes is available at Elysplayhouse.com.

    Ely’s Play House is located at 7777 Sunrise Blvd., suite #1700.

  • President of Auburn Boulevard Business Association retires

    President of Auburn Boulevard Business Association retires

    File photo, Richard Hale stands on Auburn Boulevard, where he served as president of the Auburn Boulevard Business Association until 2022.

    By Mike Hazlip—
    After heading up the Auburn Boulevard Business Association (ABBA) since its inception and running a local auto shop for three decades, Richard Hale has passed on leadership responsibilities to a successor.

    Hale made the announcement during November’s ABBA meeting, naming Diane Ebbitt as co-chair of the association. Ebbitt currently serves as Executive Director for the Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce.

    ABBA was officially formed in 2016, although the idea for a cohesive team of boulevard business owners dates back further.

    In a 2017 interview, Hale told The Sentinel his vision was to make Auburn Boulevard “a destination point,” a vision the city has shared, with a current focus on the second phase of a $22 million+ plan called the Auburn Boulevard Complete Streets Revitalization Project.

    When complete, Auburn Boulevard from Rusch Park to the Roseville border will have a similar look as the first phase of improvements, which began at Sylvan Corners and continued to just beyond Antelope Road. Phase I included undergrounding utility wires, adding new streetlights and medians, planting over 200 street trees, and installing nearly 10,000 feet of bike lanes and sidewalks.

    Under Hale’s leadership, ABBA worked with the city to create a 31-point action plan for improving the boulevard in 2017. The plan was never implemented, however, as funding remained an unanswered question, unless the association formed a business improvement district to allow for a special tax assessment, which can be controversial among property owners.

    Hale first opened Walt’s Auto Service at 7549 Auburn Blvd. in 1992, naming the business after a family member. Thirty years later, Walt’s Auto has now become part of the AAA network of repair shops and Hale says he plans to travel and spend time with family.

    “We’re going to kind of let things gel,” Hale said in making his announcement last month, although noting he still plans to remain active in the Rotary Club. “I’m trying to step away from a few things just to, you know, spend more time at home with my wife, Lori, which is very important to me.”

    Hale said walking away from the shop for the last time after hanging up the keys was an emotional day for both he and his wife.

    “It’s an emotional deal, you know,” Hale said. “That day when we locked the door on October 10th… it was a long walk to the car.”

    One thing Hale won’t miss is the commute from his home in Auburn.

    So it’s going to be good to be home,” he said. “Yeah. So, really looking forward to it.”

  • Big Lots to close Citrus Heights store

    Big Lots to close Citrus Heights store

    Big Lots, Citrus Heights
    File photo, Big Lots is located at 8525 Auburn Blvd., in Citrus Heights. // CH Sentinel

    Sentinel staff report–
    After first opening three years ago in a portion of the former Kmart building on Auburn Boulevard, Big Lots will reportedly be closing its Citrus Heights store in January.

    ABC 10 first reported on Thursday about the store’s closure, citing a statement from Big Lots spokesperson Josh Chaney, who did not specify a reason for the closure. Chaney said Big Lots reviews its stores on a routine basis “and sometimes decide, for a variety of business reasons, to close or relocate.”

    The location at 8525 Auburn Blvd. first opened in April 2019, the same month that a Smart & Final store at the same center closed. ABC 10 said there has been assertions about high crime and theft contributing to the closure, but the news outlet reported a police commander said the location has not had “an unusually high amount of theft” over the past year.

    The Citrus Grove shopping center, where Big Lots currently operates, has seen several changes in recent years. A 49,000-square-foot Studio Movie Grill originally planned to open next to Big Lots, but the theater chain pulled out of those plans during the pandemic.

    Last year, three new businesses joined the center, including a new nail salon, a cafe and a discount wholesaler. The future of the former Studio Grill Site remains unconfirmed, although a leasing brochure dated Sept. 22, 2022 shows plans for a theater and does not list the site as available.

    Related: A spark of hope for abandoned Studio Movie Grill site on Auburn Blvd

  • ‘Small Business Saturday’ encourages shopping small, local

    Sentinel staff report–
    Shoppers are being encouraged to “shop small” this Saturday for the 13th annual Small Business Saturday campaign.

    Started in 2010 as an initiative heavily promoted by American Express, Small Business Saturday is designed to encourage consumers to support small, local businesses in their communities. It is now sponsored by a wide coalition of organizations and businesses, falling on the day after Black Friday each year.

    SCORE, a nonprofit offering local small business training events and mentorship in Citrus Heights and nationwide, is one of many supporters of Small Business Saturday, with it’s CEO, Bridget Weston, calling the campaign “economic patriotism at its best – a day when buying gifts for your loved ones or visiting a locally-owned restaurant supports jobs and builds thriving communities.”

    In a Nov. 22 news release SCORE said having strong year-end sales are critical for small businesses to survive, and also said businesses are facing growing challenges due to inflation and other economic factors.

  • Owner confirms permanent closure of Citrus Heights coffee shop

    Owner confirms permanent closure of Citrus Heights coffee shop

    Beanheads Coffee
    Beanheads Coffee is located at the corner of San Juan Avenue and Sperry Drive, in Citrus Heights. // M. Hazlip

    Sentinel staff report–
    After being open just over a year, BeanHeads Coffee owner Tim Snipes confirmed in an email last week that his Citrus Heights location has permanently closed up shop.

    BeanHeads Coffee opened its doors in August 2021 at 6001 San Juan Ave., with Snipes aspiring to make it the first craft coffee shop in Citrus Heights. Last month however, the doors were shut on several visits by Sentinel staff, and a few pieces of mail were observed beginning to collect inside the door.

    At the time, Snipes said “not sure yet,” in response to a question as to whether the location had permanently closed, or if the closure was temporary. Although not listing reasons for the closure, business had been noticeably slow at the location.

    Prior to opening last year, Snipes told The Sentinel that Citrus Heights was slated to be his first BeanHeads location, but he couldn’t pass on a Natomas opportunity when the previous owner retired and left a fully equipped coffee shop in a former Java City building. The Natomas location is believed to still be operating, at 717 Del Paso Road.

    Snipes has been in the coffee business since 2006, and has operated a coffee kiosk business model in local hospitals.

    The future of the now-vacant shop at San Juan Avenue and Sperry Drive is unknown. It was previously home to a Vietnamese restaurant.

  • AAA buys long-time auto shop in Citrus Heights, eyes additional properties

    File photo, Walt’s Auto Service, at 7549 Auburn Blvd., in Citrus Heights.

    By Mike Hazlip—
    Walt’s Auto Service on Auburn Boulevard is under new ownership after three decades of operation.

    Walt’s Auto has been in business for 30 years since first opening March 9, 1992, and former owner Richard Hale says the new owners will keep existing staff.

    Hale told The Sentinel in an interview Tuesday that AAA Northern California bought the business, although he still owns the property and has a lease agreement with AAA. The shop is now operating as AAA Citrus Heights Auburn Auto Repair Center.

    Walt’s Auto is not the only automotive shop acquired by the insurance and roadside assistance company. AAA is also listed as the owner of Kniesel’s Auto Service Centers, according to the company’s website. Other area locations listed on AAA’s website include Citrus Heights Auto Repair Center at 7649 Sunrise Blvd., Roseville Riverside Auto Repair Center at 980 Riverside Ave., and Sacramento Power Inn Auto Repair Center at 49 Bicentennial Circle.

    Michelle Donati, a spokesperson for AAA Northern California, said in an email Thursday that the purchase of Walt’s Auto brings the number of repair shops owned by AAA to a total of 21 locations. She said AAA membership is not required to have a vehicle serviced at AAA-owned shops, but said members receive a discount on labor.

    AAA is actively seeking to expand their auto repair shop network, offering business owners flexibility with the transaction, according to information from the company. The organization now owns and operates 39 auto repair centers in Arizona, Northern California, and Nevada with plans to grow to 100 locations in the next five years.

  • Prominent investor buys up 21-acre chunk of Sunrise Mall

    File photo, Sunrise Mall. // CH Sentinel

    By Mike Hazlip—
    In the latest change at Sunrise Mall, news emerged this week that the vacant Sears property and accompanying parking space on the south end of the mall has been sold to a new owner.

    Commercial real estate investment company Ethan Conrad Properties closed sale of the site earlier this week, according to a report by the Sacramento Business Journal. The Journal said Conrad paid just under $7 million for the site, which includes 21.3 acres, with over 281,000 square feet of building space.

    The site includes the main three-story Sears building, a two-story automotive center, and another service building. Separate retail pads for the unused parking lots could potentially be developed, according to the report.

    The Journal reports Conrad is looking to develop the site in accordance with the Sunrise Tomorrow plan, which lays out a vision for redeveloping the 100-acre site. The city has said the likely first phase of the 20-year plan involves developing unused parking areas on the perimeter of the site, with demolition of the existing mall slated for the end of the two-decade timeline.

    Conrad told The Business Journal the best use of the land will be retail, and has been communicating with the City of Citrus Heights to determine “desirable retail uses for the property.” He reportedly told employees that retailers are already interested in some pieces of the site, according to The Journal.

    Conrad said the purchase price was “about equal” to the value of the land, with no additional cost for existing improvements.

    In 2019, Conrad bought a portion of the shopping center on the southeast corner of Sunrise Boulevard and Antelope Road for $5.5 million, which included 37,500 square feet of retail — excluding the California Fitness center, which is separately owned. The Sentinel also reported earlier this year that Conrad had purchased the Raley’s-anchored retail center at Lichen Drive and Antelope Road for $16.7 million.

    The sale of Sears is the latest in recent development news for Sunrise Mall, as the city seeks to work with private developers to make the Sunrise Tomorrow plan a reality. Last month, the city announced an application was submitted last week that “lays out a footprint” for a potential hotel at the corner of Sunrise Boulevard and Greenback Lane.

  • Food drive in Citrus Heights seeks to provide Thanksgiving dinners

    Food drive in Citrus Heights seeks to provide Thanksgiving dinners

    File photo from 2020, food drive organizer Kathilynn Carpenter, right, stands in front of a load of donated frozen turkeys, along with Mikhaila Freas, left, and Julie DePrada.

    Sentinel staff report–
    The largest business district in Citrus Heights has partnered with a local radio station to help collect frozen turkeys and food supplies to provide Thanksgiving dinners to those in need this holiday season.

    The three-hour “Turkey and Fixins” food drive is hosted by the Sunrise MarketPlace and will take place on Saturday, Nov. 12, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot of Marketplace at Birdcage off Sunrise Boulevard, at 5975 Birdcage Centre Lane.

    Items sought include frozen turkeys, canned fruit and yams, bags of sweet potatoes and potatoes, stuffing mix, canned veggies, instant potatoes, rolls, cranberry sauce, turkey gravy, pies, bags of rice, mac & cheese, sparkling cider, and other goods. A full list is posted on the food drive’s flier.

    Donations are encouraged to be purchased from local grocery stores within the Sunrise MarketPlace business district. A flier lists the Walmart Neighborhood Market and Target stores on Sunrise Boulevard, as well as the Smart and Final on Madison Avenue, and the Sprouts store on Greenback Lane.

    In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, a food drive hosted by the Sunrise MarketPlace that year resulted in a total of 1,766 items being donated, along with several hundred dollars in cash donations, according to lead organizer Kathilynn Carpenter.

    Donations included 52 frozen turkeys, along with canned food, boxes of mashed potatoes, gravy mix, pasta and stuffing. Items were delivered to the Sunrise Christian Food Ministry, a local emergency food closet, for distribution.

  • Editorial Picks: 5 must-try restaurants in Citrus Heights

    Editorial Picks: 5 must-try restaurants in Citrus Heights

    A breakfast platter from Crepes & Burgers, located on Auburn Boulevard. // M. Hazlip

    Compiled by Sentinel editors and staff–
    Citrus Heights boasts many restaurants that residents have come to know and love, and The Sentinel has compiled a list of our top five must-try restaurants in the city.

    These eateries represent both the local fabric of our community and offer a sample of the range of available cuisine.

    Extreme Hummus. Located at 7820 Zenith Drive, this eatery was listed as one of Yelp’s 2018 “Top 100 Places to Eat” in the United States. Extreme Hummus serves a variety of flavorful Mediterranean dishes, including wraps, gyros, bowls, salads, and desserts. One of the restaurants unique offerings are the variety of flavor-packed hummus dips, including artichoke and pesto hummus, cilantro jalapeno hummus, Tzatziki hummus and of course their own signature hummus.

    We chose Extreme Hummus because of their exceptional ratings and excellent variety of delicious Mediterranean food.

    El Tapatio Family Mexican Restaurant. Located on Sunrise Boulevard, El Tapatio prides itself on offering authentic Mexican dishes that come from traditional family recipes. From staples like burritos, tostadas and enchiladas, to more innovative dishes like the Molcajete dish—meat, salsa verde and sauteed cactus served in an old-world Hispanic stone mortar known as a “molcajete”—and classic American cuisine, the restaurant offers something for everyone.

    We chose El Tapatio for their stellar rating from more than 2,500 reviewers on Yelp and for its good food, good service, and beautiful atmosphere, with walls filled with Mexican art and decor.

    Crepes & Burgers. Crepes and Burgers is a newer addition to Citrus Heights, having opened in 2017 on Auburn Boulevard across from the Grand Oaks Shopping Center. The unique blend of menu items, from crepes, burgers, salads and sandwiches, to beer, wine and coffee, create an intriguing atmosphere for an open-café-style restaurant.

    We chose Crepes and Burgers because their burgers rival the long-standing burgers from Fuddruckers, and because of their variety of breakfast options.

    India Oven. Located at 6105 Sunrise Vista Drive, near Greenback Lane, India Oven offers authentic Indian cuisine, with entrees like Tandoori and Biryani dishes, and a variety of chicken, lamb and seafood options. With more than 500 reviews on Yelp, India Oven has high marks and offers many options for patrons, including vegetarian dishes, online ordering, lunch buffets and a three-course tasting menu which is great for large-scale events.

    We chose India Oven because of their unique cuisine and elegant indoor and outdoor dining atmosphere. Their outdoor patio is perfect for a date night on a warm summer evening.

    Inferno Chicken. Located at 5925 Birdcage Centre Ln., Suite 109, is not your average chicken wings shop. In only two years of operation, Inferno Chicken has amassed over 1,800 votes on Doordash and a 4.7-star rating. Inferno Chicken has dubbed themselves a “Louisiana Hot Chicken Restaurant” and serves chicken wings, tenders, tacos and sandwiches, with varying heat levels. Mild chicken comes in “southern” and “honey BBQ”, among other flavors. The two hottest levels listed on the website’s heat thermometer read “Make me cry” and “Inferno.”

    We like Inferno Chicken because it’s something different than just another pizza or burger joint and for their creative spin on chicken sandwiches and tacos. Read more: The story behind Citrus Heights’ newest hot chicken restaurant

    Honorable Mentions. While not making it to our top five, Folsom Palace, an award-winning Pan-Asian Bistro which recently opened on Sunrise Boulevard, is listed as number one in Yelp’s “Top 10 Best Restaurants in Citrus Heights.”

    Fukumi Ramen, which specializes in “Fukuoka-style Hakata ramen, authentic Tonkotsu Ramen and melt-in-your-mouth Pork Chashu” is a newer restaurant. We love this eatery for their hot soups, which are perfect for those cold winter days.

    Donut King has been a local fixture on San Juan Avenue and Greenback Lane for decades. We love Donut King for their reliability and 24-hour service. Anytime of the day or night, holidays, weekends, you name it, you can count on them to have fresh, made-from-scratch donuts.

  • Citrus Heights council recognizes October as manufacturing month

    Citrus Heights Vice Mayor Tim Schaefer speaks during an Oct. 27 council meeting recognizing National Manufacturing Month.

    By Mike Hazlip—
    The City of Citrus Heights gave a nod to the manufacturing sector by passing a proclamation honoring October as National Manufacturing Month.

    The proclamation was introduced by Vice Mayor Tim Schaefer and accepted by Kevin McGrew of Siemens Mobility. Schaefer said the nationally recognized Manufacturing Month raises awareness for career opportunities in the $2.2 trillion industry.

    Schaefer read from the proclamation, stating that workers in the manufacturing industry make an average of $82,000 annually, including pay and benefits.

    “Over the next decade nearly 3.5 million manufacturing jobs will likely be needed, and two million are expected to go unfilled due to the skills gap,” he said.

    Regionally, Siemens employs more than 2,400 people, McGrew said, noting that more than 40 of those employees call Citrus Heights home.

    “Business is booming,” McGrew said. “These are good paying jobs, dynamic careers, and have excellent futures where those folks have been able to raise families in Citrus Heights.”

    The company is headquartered in Germany and expanded its Sacramento presence with a 60,000-square-foot facility at McClellan Park in 2016, according to a McClellan Park release.

    Siemens manufactures rail vehicles for Sacramento Regional Transit, among other clients, according to the company.