WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA – Walnut Creek is in the midst of a restaurant building boom! Multiple new places are under construction, from new Italian food to a DJ-centered joint in a former PGE office.
We hit the streets to see how construction is going firsthand.
1. Stereo41
Let’s start with Stereo41, where the future interior is completely gutted and open to the air!
Stereo41 will be a new full-service restaurant and bar with a music-centric twist coming to downtown Walnut Creek. The project involves transforming the former PG&E customer service office at 1535 Bonanza Street into a music-first dining venue.
It is led by restaurateurs Victor Abu-Ghaben and his sister Sofia Hanan – the team behind World Famous Hot Boys (Nashville hot chicken) and LITA (a Latin-inspired bar and eatery in Walnut Creek) – along with partner Berk Visual.
The concept promises Contemporary American cuisine in a trendy nightlife atmosphere, complete with an in-house DJ booth and two outdoor patios.
Details of the menu are being kept under wraps, but the owners have hinted at creative takes on American comfort classics paired with a strong craft-cocktail program.
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2. North Italia
North Italia, an upscale-casual Italian chain owned by The Cheesecake Factory’s Fox Restaurant Concepts, is also coming to Walnut Creek. It will take over the former Tilly’s space at 1179 Locust Street in Plaza Escuela.
Right now, the space is covered in a massive plastic tarp, and the interior has been taken down to the studs as construction moves ahead.
The brand is known for its handmade pastas, artisanal wood-oven pizzas and a selection of seasonal entrées (think chicken Parmesan with aged provolone), all served alongside Italian-inspired cocktails and a California-focused wine list.
Portions at North Italia tend to be shareable, and most locations offer a weekday happy hour on small plates and spritzes. The Walnut Creek restaurant has filed for a liquor license and interior build-out is underway; officials report the venue is targeting a late-2025 debut.
But given how much construction work remains to be done, we’re skeptical! Summer 2026 seems like a more reasonable target.
Here’s our full writeup.
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3. Stillwater
Stillwater is the placeholder name for a planned new restaurant at 1555 Bonanza Street – the site of the former Walnut Creek Yacht Club seafood restaurant.
In July 2025, an Alcoholic Beverage Control license was filed under “Stillwater Inc.” for that address. The listed owners are Rolla Zafer Abughaben and Fadi Zafer Abughaben (members of the local Abu-Ghaben family of restaurateurs).
The Abu-Ghabens are well known in the East Bay dining scene (see above for their work on Stereo41) and the family group also founded Batch & Brine in Lafayette and helped launch Broderick Roadhouse in Walnut Creek.
The name Stillwater suggests a nautical or seafood-inspired theme (appropriate for the yacht-club space), but no official cuisine or menu has been announced.
According to the license filing, the project will include a full bar serving beer, wine and cocktails. When we stopped by, work was moving ahead on the sidewalk outside the restaurant. Since many renovation projects require making updates to common spaces first, this suggests that Stillwater’s interior construction may begin shortly.
Original Joe’s (Just Arrived, But Delayed)
We wish we didn’t have to list this one as under construction! Original Joe’s opened to much fanfare on August 14.
By all accounts, it was an amazing place.
But a damaging fire last week shut the brand-new restaurant down again. When we visited, workers were once again swarming around Original Joes’ building, which replaced the former Stanford’s restaurant. This time, though, they were there to do smoke remediation and clean up the damage from the fire.
Hopefully OJ’s will be back up and running shortly!
The Foundry (Coming Soon)
The Foundry is a large European-style food hall in the works for downtown Walnut Creek. The project – roughly 24,000 square feet over two stories – is being developed by BH Development (led by local restaurateur Brian Hirahara).
Hirahara’s firm (which operates Telefèric Barcelona, Slice House, Va de Vi and other popular Walnut Creek venues) acquired the lot at 1250 Locust Street under a long-term city agreement. Renderings show a two-story main building with a soaring open-air central courtyard (complete with seating, a koi pond and an events stage) flanked by two smaller annex buildings.
Early plans call for about 23 vendor stalls: the ground floor will host non-chain fast-casual eateries and specialty food vendors (bakeries, salad bars, etc.), while the upper level is set aside for a full-service rooftop restaurant and bar, Other proposed features include a children’s play area and separate “Foundry Brewery” and “Foundry Wine” kiosks.
The architecture mixes exposed brick, timber and metal in a plaza-like layout with communal tables and string lights, evoking a European market hall. Although the design is approved, The Foundry has not broken ground yet – it was first proposed years ago but faced delays – and the city currently lists the project as “Approved” but not yet under construction.
Parking is gonna be horrific with all those new restaurants. How about a new parking structure to accommodate?? Duh!
Exciting time for Walnut Creek. I hope the Foundry gets built. I love the concept and outdoor space. I feel like those that complain about parking spots just don’t want to get the steps in and park at one of the many garages already in downtown – of which offer free parking for the first two hours!