WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA – Most of the shops and restaurants in downtown Walnut Creek, California (not Broadway Plaza, but Main street proper) are local spots.
One the corner, though, there has long been a chain clothing store. For some reason, though, this spot felt like it blended with its more locally-focused locale.
It was a little odd–there was a giant swordfish hanging from the ceiling. It was very preppy–even moreso than the new Abercrombie and Fitch at Broadway Plaza.
And the clothes were nice–I have a blue button down shirt from the store, complete with its little whale emblem.
The store is Vineyard Vines. And it has reportedly closed, ending a run of more than 10 years in the heart of downtown shopping and dining.
The brand’s official store page for Walnut Creek now lists the location at 1301 N Main Street as “CLOSED!” — a change that effectively confirms what many locals began noticing this week.
The closed shop sat on a busy stretch of N. Main, near Tomatina and the Model Bakery space at 1315 N. Main Street — a block that has long been one of downtown’s highest-foot-traffic corridors.
Historically, Vineyard Vines’ Walnut Creek arrival dates back to the mid-2010s, when the brand’s signature whale logo started appearing on windows at 1301 N. Main as the store prepared to open.
At this point, no public reason for the Walnut Creek closure has been posted on the brand’s store page, and it’s not yet clear what (if anything) will replace the space.
While Walnut Creek is now marked closed, Vineyard Vines continues to operate stores elsewhere in California, including Burlingame, San Diego (Westfield UTC), and Los Angeles (Century City), according to the company’s current store locator.
Vineyard Vines traces its origin story to 1998, when brothers Shep and Ian Murray left their corporate jobs and started building the brand around a laid-back coastal lifestyle. The whale logo and the strange taxidermy fish inside the store are marks of that.
Vineyard Vines always felt like a great tenant for its building, which has been beautifully restored with lots of brick and flowers outside. Va De Vi is across the street, and Calicraft Upstairs just opened right nearby.
Again, there’s no word yet on what comes next. But we know the developer of this particular building, so you can bet we’ll be giving him a call to see if there’s any info.
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Vineyard vines, what does that have to do with clothing? Need to inform people of who you are in your brand name!! Never made sense. Could’ve been a wine store? Makes more sense!