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Business & Tech

Sprouts & Shutters: Girly Gifts, HomeGoods, Clever Cakes and More

Here's the latest roundup of retail, restaurant and other business news in the Tri-Valley area.

Wondering what’s moving into your neighborhood shopping center? Our weekly Sprouts & Shutters column highlights the latest Tri-Valley restaurant, retail and other business news.

Celebration Salon opened recently on Danville Boulevard in Alamo next to The Peasant’s Courtyard. The full-service salon specializes in hair extensions and hair loss solutions and also offers spray tans, manicures, waxing, eyelash extensions and make-up application. Learn more at www.hair2dye4.me.

Just in time for spring sprucing: San Ramon’s new HomeGoods holds its grand opening March 25 from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. The discount home furnishings store opens next door to Whole Foods in the Shops at Bishop Ranch. Read more in Patch’s story .

Hoping to slim down for swimsuit season? Medifast, provider of portion-controlled weight-loss programs, moved from the Gateway Shopping Center across the street to a larger space on San Ramon Valley Boulevard. The new Medifast opened in January next to Dream Salon.

Learning Grove Academy tutoring center opened in January in Dublin on Village Parkway near to Dosa n Biryani. The new Learning Grove Academy offers students in elementary, middle and high schools an advanced curriculum that is approximately two years ahead of state public school level teaching, according to the center’s website. Learning Grove Academy also has centers in San Ramon and Pleasanton.

Girly Gifts to Go plans a soft opening of its new women’s gift boutique on April 2 on Main Street in Pleasanton. Owner Patricia Kesselring says her new store, located in Savvy Seconds’ back room, will sell girly gifts ranging from soy candles and honey lip butter to handpainted vintage compact mirrors and beaded coin purses.

Pleasanton’s GourMade Cookery lost its lease and will close its Koll Center commercial kitchen April 5. For the last eight years, Gourmade provided a professional kitchen where clients could make full meals for their families to eat at home or pick up assembled gourmet dishes. The owners hope to reopen Gourmade or a similar business if they can find a suitable commercial kitchen in the Tri-Valley.

If that Louis Vuitton bag looks good enough to eat, maybe you can. Cake designer Michele Burkett recently launched Rock Candy Cakes, a Livermore business specializing in nontraditional custom cakes ranging from designer handbags to SF Giants hats. (Take a peek at the bucket of beer cake in the accompanying photos). Learn more at rockcandycakes.com.

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Did you miss Patch's last retail and restaurant roundup? Read about these and more in our last Sprouts & Shutters column:  

  • and in Danville
  • in San Ramon
  • in Dublin
  • and in Pleasanton 
  • in Livermore

Know of a restaurant or shop opening or closing in the Tri-Valley? Please send me a news tip at patchsprouts@gmail.com.

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