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Tag: California Quick Slice

  • Q&A: Will plans for that pizza drive-thru in Citrus Heights ever become a reality?

    California Quick Slice
    Plans approved by the Planning Commission show a new California Quick Slice pizza at 7766 Auburn Blvd.

    Sentinel staff report–
    It’s been almost a year since the Citrus Heights Planning Commission approved an entrepreneur’s creative plan to re-purpose an old gas station on Auburn Boulevard into a drive-thru pizza restaurant. But so far, the only changes observable to the thousands of cars passing by the site each day are an increase in homeless activity and a broken window being boarded up.

    So, what’s going on — has the project been abandoned?

    From last year: Citrus Heights planning commission approves new drive-thru pizza

    Mercer Tyson, who purchased the 16,000-square-foot lot at 7766 Auburn Blvd. two years ago and later won approval for his pizza drive-thru from the Planning Commission, told The Sentinel last week that financing difficulties have delayed the project. He said in addition to the building, which he already owns, “the cost of improvements, equipment, adequate working capital, etc. is upwards of $800,000.”

    If finding an investor or a lender with decent loan terms doesn’t pan out, Tyson said he’s willing to sell other property he owns to make the project happen.

    “I am prepared to sell other property to get the capital necessary,” Tyson told The Sentinel in an email. “That could be lengthy time process, but it will happen.”

    Asked whether the restaurant could still potentially open this year, Tyson said a 2019 opening is “fairly likely, but probably towards the end.”

    Food Review: Italian Brothers Pizza in Citrus Heights isn’t one to miss

    As previously reported on The Sentinel, Tyson said his new California Quick Slice restaurant will feature several varieties of pizzas that will be pre-made daily and served up hot by the slice at the drive-thru, or picked up for take-and-bake at home. The restaurant will also offer coffee, shakes, a dessert pizza, and a bacon, egg and cheese pizza for breakfast, fitting with the proposed hours of 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

    “The main focus isn’t to compete with pizza restaurants, it’s to compete with hamburgers and tacos,” Tyson told planning commissioners during a public hearing in 2018. “So when you drive down the street, instead of getting a burger, you get a pizza and a coke.”

    Plans call for largely keeping the existing gas station layout, although drive-thru lanes would be added in the rear and outdoor seating would be set up under the canopy once used for gas pumps. Plans also call for a 200-square-foot mural on the outside, which will have a food theme.

    Under the approved plan, drive-thru customers will enter off of Auburn Boulevard, loop around behind the building for ordering and pickup, and then exit onto Watson Way.

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  • Q&A: What’s going on with plans for that drive-thru pizza place?

    California Quick Slice, Citrus Heights
    An old gas station lot in Citrus Heights was approved to be re-made into a drive-thru pizza restaurant earlier this year. // CH Sentinel

    Sentinel staff report–
    An entrepreneur’s plans to turn an old gas station near the corner of Antelope Road and Auburn Boulevard into a drive-thru pizza restaurant were approved by the Citrus Heights Planning Commission back in February, but since then the site has sat unchanged — apart from vandals smashing a hole through the front glass earlier this year.

    So what’s going on?

    Mercer Tyson, owner of the future California Quick Slice restaurant, told The Sentinel in an email update last month that the project is still in the works, but got stalled for several months due to personal and family circumstances that took precedence over his business plans. As of Friday, he said designs for the interior layout of the restaurant were being finalized, with building plans yet to be submitted to the city.

    Although originally hoping to open by the end of this summer, Tyson is now shooting for an opening date in early 2019, with construction beginning at the site later this year.

    The new California Quick Slice restaurant at 7766 Auburn Blvd. will feature several varieties of pizzas that will be pre-made daily and served up hot by the slice at the drive-thru, or picked up for take-and-bake at home. The restaurant will also offer coffee, shakes, a dessert pizza, and a bacon, egg and cheese pizza for breakfast, fitting with the initial proposed hours of 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. — which Tyson has said could expand to 24 hours, depending on how late-night business performs.

    “The main focus isn’t to compete with pizza restaurants, it’s to compete with hamburgers and tacos,” Tyson previously told planning commissioners during a public hearing. “So when you drive down the street, instead of getting a burger, you get a pizza and a coke.”

    See what the new restaurant will look like: Click here

    As previously reported by The Sentinel, plans approved by commissioners call for largely keeping the existing gas station layout, although drive-thru lanes would be added in the rear and outdoor seating would be set up under the canopy once used for gas pumps. Several commissioners referred to the plan as “exciting” and unique, while one commissioner voted against the project and expressed concern about excessive blacktop and the outdoor canopy attracting homeless during inclement weather.

    Citrus Heights Associate Planner Alison Bermudez said the drive-thru would “really bring some vibrancy to the area,” noting the plan keeps the “look and feel” of a gas station, but features new lighting, paint, and landscaping. She said the owner will also install glass where the auto-service doors were previously, and the inside will feature artwork with a gas station theme.

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  • Citrus Heights planning commission approves new drive-thru pizza

    California Quick Slice
    A new California Quick Slice pizza has been approved at an old gas station location at 7766 Auburn Blvd. // Image Credit: Planning Commission packet.

    Sentinel staff report–
    Citrus Heights planning commissioners on Wednesday voted 5-1 in favor of a proposal to re-format an old gas station near Auburn Boulevard and Antelope Road into a drive-thru pizza restaurant.

    “The main focus isn’t to compete with pizza restaurants, it’s to compete with hamburgers and tacos,” owner Mercer Tyson told planning commissioners during a public hearing held prior to the vote. “So when you drive down the street, instead of getting a burger, you get a pizza and a coke.”

    Tyson said his new California Quick Slice restaurant at 7766 Auburn Blvd. will feature several varieties of pizzas that will be pre-made daily and served up hot by the slice at the drive-thru, or picked up for take-and-bake at home. The restaurant will also offer coffee, shakes, a dessert pizza, and a bacon, egg and cheese pizza for breakfast, fitting with the initial proposed hours of 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

    Depending on how late-night business performs, Tyson said he may also expand hours of operation to 24 hours.

    Plans approved by commissioners call for largely keeping the existing gas station layout, although drive-thru lanes would be added in the rear and outdoor seating would be set up under the canopy once used for gas pumps. Several commissioners referred to the plan as “exciting” and unique, while Commissioner Tim Schaefer voted against the project and expressed concern about excessive blacktop and the outdoor canopy attracting homeless during inclement weather.

    Associate Planner Alison Bermudez said the drive-thru would “really bring some vibrancy to the area,” noting the plan keeps the “look and feel” of a gas station, but features new lighting, paint, and landscaping. She said the owner will also install glass where the auto-service doors were previously, and the inside will feature artwork with a gas station theme as well. Plans also call for a 200-square-foot mural on the outside, which will have a food theme.

    Related: See Feb. 28 planning commission packet

    Commissioners discussed potential problems with limited on-site parking on the plan, which calls for nine spots. However, Tyson’s focus on a quick-serve drive-thru rather than indoor eating appeared to alleviate concerns. Additionally, the area of Auburn Boulevard qualifies for a special exemption on normal parking requirements, allowing for on-street parking along Watson Way to count towards required parking.

    Under the approved plan, drive-thru customers will enter off of Auburn Boulevard, loop around behind the building for ordering and pickup, and then exit onto Watson Way.

    No members of the public spoke at a hearing held before the vote, aside from the owner and his representative, Mike Gates, of Sacramento Design Systems. During the short hearing, an officer with the police department’s problem-oriented policing unit also asked whether outdoor seating would be secured to the ground, which Gates confirmed would be secured.

    The planning commission voted in favor of the proposal, with Commissioner Leah Cox absent and Commissioner Schaefer being the sole “no” vote.

    Tyson told The Sentinel on Saturday he’s hopeful the new California Quick Slice will open by the end of summer. He said the venture will be his first in the restaurant industry, although he has owned several other businesses in the past.

    Related: These 8 eateries are coming to Citrus Heights in 2018

  • These 8 eateries are coming to Citrus Heights in 2018

    California Quick Slice
    Plans submitted to the city show a new California Quick Slice pizza at an old gas station near Auburn Boulevard and Antelope Road. // Image courtesy, City of Citrus Heights

    Sentinel staff report–
    Big burgers, all-you-can-eat sushi, humongous salads, and a unique pizza drive-thru are all on tap for new restaurants planning to open in Citrus Heights this year. Here’s a brief run-down of what’s planned for 2018:

    Chando’s Tacos is planning to open at the old Chase Bank building at Sylvan Corners in the first quarter of 2018. Owner Lisandro “Chando” Madrigal currently owns several food trucks and four Chando’s Tacos restaurants in the Sacramento region, which feature a Mexican food selection including tortas, burritos, tacos and quesadillas. (Read more)

    Checkers, a Florida-based fast food franchise known for its low-priced big burgers, is planning a new drive-thru in front of Steve Cook’s Fireside Lanes bowling alley on the 7900 block of Auburn Boulevard. As of Friday, the city’s planning division had not received any formal plans for the restaurant, but franchisee Ben Aibuedefe told The Sentinel on Saturday he is on track for an opening sometime in 2018. He said once plans are approved by the city, the restaurant could pop up within six weeks through Checker’s new modular designs that are constructed off-site and then delivered. (Read more)

    Related: Local franchisee plans new Checkers burger drive-thru in Citrus Heights

    Flaming Mountain, an all-you-can-eat sushi and barbecue restaurant, is planning to open at the old La Placita Dos building at 8036 Greenback Ln. In an interview last year, a representative for the family owned restaurant said the location was hoping to open in 2017, but renovation activity at the site has dragged on for months. A worker at the site told The Sentinel on Friday that the restaurant is now planning to open in February. (Read more)

    Human Bean Coffee, a new drive-thru kiosk, is expected to open in front of Master Donuts on Sunrise Boulevard near Old Auburn Road. The project was approved by the planning commission last January and construction plans were submitted to the city in October, but construction activity has yet to begin. Local franchisee Amie Wallace previously told The Sentinel her new Human Bean Coffee drive-through was targeting an opening date in 2017, but several messages left with Wallace requesting an update were not returned. (Read more)

    Dos Coyotes Border Cafe, a Davis-based restaurant chain offering southwestern food and “humongous salads,” is planning to open by May at 5450 Sunrise Blvd. next to Nation’s Giant Hamburgers. Owner Bobby Coyote previously told The Sentinel his new restaurant was targeting an opening date in 2017, but those plans were delayed due to an extensive remodel of the aging strip mall location by the Cordano Company that was completed last month. (Read more)

    Studio Movie Grill, a popular Texas-based company whose locations feature a focus on in-theatre dining, submitted plans for a 50,000-square-foot theater at the old Kmart building on Auburn Boulevard. A company spokeswoman declined to comment last month when asked for an anticipated opening date for the new movie grill, but since a public hearing and planning commission approval are not required for the project, development could proceed quickly.

    From December: Plans submitted for new Studio Movie Grill in Citrus Heights

    PizzaRev, a Southern California-based “craft your own” pizza restaurant that promises a flame-fired pizza in just three minutes, is slated to open in the same shopping plaza as Dos Coyotes and Nation’s on Sunrise Boulevard. The company was initially hoping for an opening date as early as 2016, but a company spokeswoman confirmed last month that an opening date for the new PizzaRev is now expected in the first quarter of 2018. A Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt has also signed a lease for the same shopping center, and an additional spot is still available.

    California Quick Slice, a unique drive-thru pizza concept, submitted plans in November to remake the former gas station building at 7766 Auburn Blvd. into a pizza restaurant with drive-thru and walk-up service. Plans show a drive-thru in the rear of the existing building and outdoor seating under what used to be the gas station canopy where fuel pumps were situated. Due to the drive-thru aspect, the project will require a public hearing and planning commission approval before work at the site can move forward, but the owner is hoping for an opening date later this summer.

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