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Category: Business

  • New Greek food eatery opens in Citrus Heights shopping plaza

    Yummy Tummy
    Yummy Tummy is now open at 7967 Auburn Blvd., in Citrus Heights. // M. Hazlip

    By Mike Hazlip—
    A new American and Greek food restaurant opened earlier this month in the Grand Oaks shopping center, taking up a space formerly home to a Mexican restaurant.

    The restaurant, Yummy Tummy, has been open for business about 10 days as part of a soft opening, but a larger grand opening is being planned for January, according to owner George Abu.

    Yummy Tummy offers traditional Mediterranean food such as gyros, kabobs, and falafel along with some more Western fare like hamburgers and chicken wings. Smoothies are planned to be added to the menu in coming months.

    Food is made daily at the restaurant, according to Abu, and his 11-year-old son helps with the family business.

    Abu said he opened a Mediterranean market and deli on Auburn Boulevard near Garfield Avenue last year, but he said pandemic shutdown orders forced him out of business. “I lost everything,” he said.

    But with a family to care for, Abu decided to start another business.

    “When you have five kids and you know you are responsible for those,” he said. “It’s not their problem, you have to fight, you have to do something for them.”

    Now, the 50-year-old businessman is focused on developing his new endeavor in Citrus Heights. He says he’s open to catering small parties and plans to have an outdoor BBQ during the summer months.

    Originally thinking to open a banquet hall, he decided to open a restaurant when the Grand Oaks location became available. The space at 7967 Auburn Blvd. was previously occupied for a short time by the Mexican restaurant, Bella Cocina.

    Abu immigrated to the United States from Bethlehem two decades ago when his oldest daughter was just a year old, and his second child had recently been born. His wife and daughters planned to stay behind until their documentation was approved, but the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001, delayed their plans to reunite in the United States.

    His family was finally able to join him in 2003.

    “It was a hard process,” he said. “It’s not easy, even after they gave me papers.”

    Despite the difficulties, the entrepreneur is grateful to be able to raise his family in the United States.

    “When I say God bless America, I say it from my heart,” he said. “To let me have the chances for me, for my wife, my kids education, good medication, everything. This is not for you or for me, this is for everybody.”

    Yummy Tummy is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., at 7967 Auburn Blvd.

  • Firehouse Subs, Starbucks coming to Citrus Heights shopping center

    Firehouse Subs
    A new standalone building in the Sunrise Village shopping plaza will be home to a Starbucks and a Firehouse Subs. // M. Hazlip

    By Mike Hazlip—
    The redevelopment of the Sunrise Village shopping plaza at the corner of Sunrise Boulevard and Madison Avenue continues, with the latest future tenant listed as Firehouse Subs.

    A marketing brochure released by Merlone Geier shows Firehouse Subs and Starbucks occupying the majority of a new standalone building with three suites, located where Coco’s restaurant once stood. The middle suite appears to have still not yet been taken.

    Firehouse Subs media relations specialist Carey Jester told the Sacramento Business Journal earlier this month that the new location will open next year, but did not give a specific date. The franchise owner is Jose Quintero, according to The Journal, and the Citrus Heights location will be the first Firehouse Subs in the city.

    The Florida-based restaurant chain has over 1,200 locations, with each typically featuring firefighter-themed interiors. Menu options include various hot and cold sub sandwiches, promising “a winning combination that satisfies ravenous appetites and the value-conscious alike.” The restaurant’s Roseville location has earned a 4-out-of-5 stars average rating from reviewers on Yelp.

    Once fully renovated, the 15-acre Sunrise Village shopping plaza will also include a 36,152-square-foot City Sports Club and a 38,000-square-foot “grocer,” although the name of the grocer is not listed on marketing brochures. Jo-Ann Fabrics will also reopen with an expanded 27,150-square-foot location in the center.

  • Raising Cane’s opens with long lines in Citrus Heights

    Raising Cane's
    Drivers lined up outside Raising Cane’s drive-thru on Dec. 22, following the restaurant’s official opening on Sunday. // M. Hazlip

    By Mike Hazlip—
    Citrus Heights’ most recent fast food restaurant seems to be living up to its reputation as a chicken finger hot spot, as the drive-thru line this week for Raising Cane’s at times extended far behind Lowe’s and stretched almost to the Walmart neighborhood market.

    The increased traffic came despite the company opting to have a “quiet opening.” Raising Cane’s area leader Lisa Toth said events around a typical grand opening involve more fanfare, but the company wanted to be a good neighbor to nearby businesses.

    Following the restaurant’s official opening on Sunday, Raising Cane’s workers directed two lanes of drive-thru traffic in an effort to keep intersections and driveways clear in the Marketplace at Birdcage shopping center.

    Customers waited in their vehicles for over an hour for drive-thru orders, Toth said. Those ordering inside could get their meal in about 20 to 30 minutes.

    The first customers began lining up just before midnight on Saturday, according to Toth. Weather data shows Temperatures dipped to a low of 37 degrees between Saturday night and into early Sunday morning, as about 30 people waited for Raising Cane’s to open.

    The Citrus Heights location is the first in the Sacramento area, Toth said. The Sacramento Bee recently reported an additional location opened in Davis. The company’s website also lists another location in Stockton.

    According to plans approved by the Citrus Heights Planning Commission, the restaurant at 7804 Greenback Ln. is a little over 3,000-square-feet in size and includes 48 seats inside and 23 seats on a patio.

    The Louisiana-based restaurant chain boasts over 500 locations nationally and is known for their limited menu and appeal to college-age demographics. Popular items are chicken fingers, Texas toast and cole slaw.

  • Sunrise MarketPlace reports 12% drop in crime; announces more patrols

    By Mike Hazlip—
    Sunrise MarketPlace, the city’s largest business district, on Friday announced a double-digit drop in crime this year and also released details of a new pilot program that has added more private security in the Sunrise-Greenback commercial corridor.

    In a Dec. 17 email, the district said it has contracted with two private security agencies to patrol the area. The security agencies will be active during the hours when the district’s dedicated patrol officer, Jeff Schouten, is not available.

    The district said the new program will run through the end of the year. If successful, the district will consider contracting with the security companies on a regular basis.

    The district began bolstering security last year when it contracted with the Police Department to have a dedicated patrol officer. The MarketPlace credited its decision to add a fulltime officer with as the reason for the drop in criminal activity, reporting crimes against property owners down by 12% between Jan. 1, 2020 and Dec. 7, 2021.

    Homeless camps in the district have also seen a 71% decrease and panhandling is also down 41%, the district said. Shoplifting has remained steady for the year.

    Sunrise Marketplace is a Property-based Business Improvement District, or PBID, funded from a property tax assessment paid by each of the roughly 80 property owners. Funds do not come from business owners directly or the city’s General Fund. Similar to a homeowners association, each property owner helps fund the PBID and likewise has a say in how that money will be spent to benefit their specific area.

    A recent report by The Sentinel shows the PBID passed with over 96% support for renewing the district and its related tax assessment on property owners for three years.

    A portion of those funds pays for a dedicated officer to patrol the marketplace and track crime trends. Officer Schouten was hired for the position in April 2020, according to a previous report by The Sentinel.

  • The story behind this popular Mexican restaurant in Citrus Heights

    Paul Lee and his wife Adela stand inside Felipe’s Mexican Restaurant in Citrus Heights, which they bought in 1988. // M. Hazlip

    By Mike Hazlip—
    Felipe’s Mexican Restaurant has been part of Citrus Heights for decades, and the family that owns the business say they plan to keep serving customers for the foreseeable future.

    Paul Lee’s uncle started the restaurant in August of 1983 when Lee was in his early 20s. He started working with another employee, Adela, and the two soon began dating and later married. The Lee’s then bought the restaurant in 1988, and have owned Felipe’s ever since.

    Lee said at one point during the 1990s, the restaurant employed eight to ten family members. He says even now, the employees are like family at the business.

    “It’s been a great journey,” Lee said. “We’ve been fortunate enough to have our families work here all together. All got along really well. Our children worked here when they were in high school. It’s been a great run.”

    Felipe’s original location was across Auburn Boulevard, but Lee moved to the Grand Oaks shopping center in April of 1990. Before that time, Grand Oaks was an interior mall, and the Southern end that is now a Bingo Hall was a Lucky’s grocery store, Lee said. The space that the restaurant now occupies was once the entrance to Grand Oaks mall.

    Felipe’s briefly tried to expand with a second location in Folsom that opened in 2007, but Lee said they didn’t anticipate the economic recession, and the Folsom location closed in 2015. He says they don’t have any plans for another location now.

    “If you’re not hands on the whole time, and that’s kind of the way we like it, it’s hard to be in two places at once,” he said.

    Felipe’s still uses recipes Lee says he modified from his uncle, and little has changed in the three decades the restaurant has been open.

    “We do everything such old style ways, we do everything from scratch” Lee said. “We teach all the employees how to make everything so everyone can help. We know what’s in our food as far as ingredients, and we’re happy with our results.”

    Another secret to his success is customer service, and customers on Yelp seem to agree, with few exceptions.

    “We try to treat all our customers the way we would want to be treated when we go out,”
    said Lee.

    The restaurant has earned a 4-out-of-5 star average rating on Yelp from nearly 300 reviewers, many who say it’s the best Mexican food in the area — although a handful of reviewers during the pandemic have commented about a decline in service or flavor.

    With so many other restaurants struggling to get past those first few years in business, Lee says he is very lucky to have made it this long, and credits the community for their success.

    “It’s been such a good ride with all the folks. Even with the employees we’ve had, it’s been like family a experience,” said Lee. “We’re all very fortunate, my wife and I feel very fortunate to have been able to be part of the community.”

  • ‘Secret Santa’ surprises struggling thrift shop with new signage

    Kelsee's Purse Thrift shop
    Adjacent construction fencing partially blocks visibility for Kelsee’s Purse Thrift Shop on Sunrise Boulevard, but the owner says recently donated signage has helped address the concern. // M. Hazlip

    By Mike Hazlip—
    Despite being partially hidden behind temporary construction fencing, business has picked up at a thrift store at 7044 Sunrise Blvd. after a banner recently appeared to direct traffic to the struggling shop.

    In a previous report by The Sentinel, Kelsee’s Purse thrift store owner Ildiko Carpenter said the business has faced a number of challenges since opening at the beginning of 2019. A pipe broke causing flooding in the shop, and two recent construction projects have reduced traffic flow at the center, she said.

    Recently, two banners directing traffic to Kelsee’s Purse and nearby Gentle Touch Pet Salon appeared on RCP Corporation fencing, the El Dorado Hills based general contractor responsible for the adjacent Planet Fitness expansion progress.

    No one has taken credit for printing or displaying the banners, but Carpenter said she suspects RCP Corporation is likely to deserving of the credit.

    “We didn’t ask them to do it and we were surprised to see it, but very grateful after being hidden behind the construction area,” she said.

    Carpenter said the added signage had a positive effect on sales. She has also increased social media marketing efforts and offered sales. One customer who spoke with The Sentinel in the shop said she was grocery shopping and came to Kelsee’s Purse when she saw the banner.

    A manager on duty at Planet Fitness was not aware of any effort by the company to print and hang the banners.

    Although Kelsee’s Purse saw a steady stream of customers while Sentinel staff was at the shop Saturday, Carpenter said she is still considering other options after the first of the year.

    “We’ve looked at a lot of buildings with vacancies,” she said. “They’re a little cheaper elsewhere, but I’m just afraid of getting into another lease with another owner.”

    Copperwood Plaza is managed by San Diego-based Strategic Asset Management Group. Carpenter said the company has been understanding with COVID-related loss of income, but she has not seen the same attention with the recent maintenance issues.

    A spokesman for Strategic Asset Management Group, Dan Chiavario, told The Sentinel previously the company will work to correct any problems related to maintenance and repairs.

    Items donated to the Kelsee’s Purse are either sold at the location or given away to area homeless. A prior story from The Sentinel reported that Carpenter and members of her church visit the homeless throughout Citrus Heights once a week to drop off clothing and personal items, along with a hot meal.

  • Opening date for Raising Cane’s in Citrus Heights pushed to Dec. 19

    Opening date for Raising Cane’s in Citrus Heights pushed to Dec. 19

    A photo from Nov. 23 shows construction still under way at Raising Cane’s on Greenback Lane. // CH Sentinel

    Sentinel staff report–
    The long-awaiting opening date for a new chicken fingers drive-thru restaurant in front of Hobby Lobby on Greenback Lane has been delayed by a week.

    A spokesman for Raising Cane’s said in an email Friday that the opening date, originally slated for Dec. 12, has “slipped to Sunday, Dec. 19.” He did not provide a reason for the delay, but had previously said last month that construction was on schedule and also described the hiring of 200 crew members for the new location as being “on track.”

    A visit to the site on Thursday found the new building well-lit inside and out, with construction fencing recently removed. The restaurant’s dual drive-thru lanes were also paved recently.

    According to plans approved by the city’s Planning Commission, the restaurant is a little over 3,000-square-feet in size and will include 48 seats inside and 23 seats on a patio.

    The Louisiana-based restaurant chain boasts over 500 locations nationally and is known for their limited menu and appeal to college-age demographics. Popular items are chicken fingers, Texas toast and cole slaw.

    Job postings on www.workatcanes.com show the Citrus Heights location is currently hiring cooks, cashiers, and crew members, with starting pay listed at $15 per hour.

  • New sushi restaurant opens in Citrus Heights

    Sushi Star
    Owner Eric Su prepares a meal in the kitchen at Sushi Star, located at 7777 Sunrise Blvd., in Citrus Heights. // CH Sentinel

    Sentinel staff report–
    A new sushi restaurant is now open on Sunrise Boulevard in Citrus Heights, featuring traditional Japanese sushi and various hibachi grill entrees.

    Sushi Star owner Eric Su told The Sentinel in an interview Wednesday that he opened the restaurant after moving from the Bay Area this summer. The first-time restaurant owner said after 15 years working in the food industry, opening his own restaurant was a dream of his.

    Su said business has been slow since opening on Nov. 26, noting the location at 7777 Sunrise Blvd. is tucked in a shopping center behind Walgreens and isn’t visible from traffic traveling on Sunrise Boulevard and Antelope Road.

    Menu items at the restaurant include chicken, salmon and steak hibachi entrees in the $13-14 price range, which include fried rice, hibachi veggies, miso soup and either mustard or yum yum sauce. Classic sushi rolls range from $5-10, with options including spicy salmon, snow crab roll and various vegetarian rolls.

    Specialty rolls are also offered, along with various salads and appetizers. A poke salad, for $11.95, includes mixed fish tossed with green salad seaweed and cucumber, along with kimchi sauce.

    More menu items are posted on the restaurant’s website, which includes online ordering. As of Thursday, the website says a house salad is included with each order as part of a grand opening special.

    Sushi Star operates in the former location of Tea Republic, which closed permanently during the pandemic. The interior has been remodeled to include a cushioned seating row on one side, along with tables and chairs.

    Hours of operation are Tuesday to Sunday, from 11:30 a.m. to 9 pm., with a 2-hour break from 2:30-4:30 p.m. when the restaurant is closed each day. On Fridays and Saturdays, the restaurant closes a half-hour later, at 9:30 p.m.

  • City seeing ‘a ton of interest’ from developers in Sunrise Mall plans

    A visual shown in the city’s Specific Plan details various aspects of the plan to re-envision Sunrise Mall.

    By Mike Hazlip—
    With the Sunrise Tomorrow plan for the 100-acre Sunrise Mall property now approved, the city says significant interest is being seen from developers.

    In a Nov. 29 video update from the city on social media, Community Development Director Casey Kempenaar said constructing residential housing on the mall’s outer parking areas is likely the first place development will start, given the current demand for housing.

    “We know that retail has changed and so these giant fields of parking are no longer needed for retail and they’re ripe for development into housing and other things. So, we think the housing will come first and the other uses will follow that,” Kempenaar said.

    He also said adding residential buildings to the outer parking areas will also help bring more people to the site. He added that the plan is flexible enough to allow for changing market conditions over time.

    The next step for Kempenaar is working with developers and the mall’s owners, which is already happening.

    “[W]e’ve been working on a regular basis with the development community to partner them with the owners,” he said. “There is a ton of interest every week we get calls from big scale developers that like this site, like the community, and would like to see this come to fruition.”

    Kempenaar said he expects to see applications starting to come in over the next year. Proposals will still go through the city’s approval process, and residents will have a chance to voice their opinions and concerns during public meetings.

    The Sentinel previously reported the 289-page draft plan for Sunrise Tomorrow was developed at a cost of over $1 million to the city. The mall’s majority owner, Namdar, has expressed support for the plan in a letter to the city.

    The city has also footed the bill for an extensive Environmental Impact Report in an effort to make the property “shovel ready” and as attractive as possible to developers. The four-phase plan is projected to cost $818 million, and take 20 years to be fully completed.

    The first phase aims to develop the unused parking areas over the next five years. The second phase would incorporate office space, retail, dining, and an extended stay hotel. The third and final phase includes redeveloping the existing mall into a 21st century main street.

  • Q&A: What’s going on at the former sports bar on Mariposa Avenue?

    10th Inning, former site
    A pile of debris sits outside the former 10th Inning sports bar at 7753 Mariposa Ave. // CH Sentinel

    Sentinel staff report–
    Following sale of the property in August, construction activity has been observed at the former 10th Inning sports bar at 7753 Mariposa Ave. and questions have been raised about what future use is planned for the site.

    A pile of construction debris can be seen in front of the building, and interior renovation can be observed through large, new front windows. The building appears to have been divided by a new wall, apparently making for a smaller unit on the left with a separate entrance, and a larger unit on the right with a new glass double door entrance.

    Work at the site appears to have halted for several weeks, but a visit by The Sentinel last month found crews at work, although none of the workers could provide information on future plans for the site.

    City spokeswoman Nichole Baxter confirmed an application for a business license at the site was filed by “Station Coffee Roasters” in April, but she said the applicant was directed to obtain building permits for a change of use, and no license was ever issued.

    Most recently, Baxter said a “Stop Work Order” was issued by the city on Nov. 17 for “working without the benefit of required permits” at the site. As of Nov. 23, she said the city’s Building and Safety Division had not received applications the required permits.

    No further work at the site has been observed, and attempts to reach the property’s new owner have been unsuccessful.

    From May: Former Citrus Heights sports bar building listed for sale at $275k

    Online records from Coldwell Banker Realty show the building sold on Aug. 10 for $250,000, after being originally listed for $275,000. The single-story structure is just under 1,900-square-feet and sits on a lot about 5,400-square-feet.

    Records show the building was originally constructed in 1951 and is situated in what was once one of Citrus Heights’ first commercial districts, along with Hall’s Furniture and other shops.

    As reported previously by The Sentinel, in the 1950’s the shopping area on Mariposa Avenue near Antelope Road was a spot where residents could get gas, drop off mail, and shop for clothes, furniture, and more. A small, two-story post office opened in 1947 in a back area next to Hall’s, run by the postmaster who also owned Wood’s Variety store in the same shopping center.

    Got a question about Citrus Heights you’ve always wanted an answer for? Click here to submit a question for consideration in a future Q&A article. See other Q&A articles below: