WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA – The Little Pear restaurant in downtown Walnut Creek was a popular local spot for a casual lunch or dinner.
They had a pretzel with cheese on the menu that I loved!
Sadly, the Little Pear closed down earlier this year, as the proprietor is making a big move (more on that below.)
The restaurant spot was briefly open. But now we’ve learned that another restaurant is coming in to fill the space.
Kitava, a Bay Area restaurant brand focused on gluten-free, dairy-free, and seed oil-free bowls, salads, and plates, is planning to open a new Walnut Creek location at 1699 N. California Blvd., the same address previously occupied by The Little Pear.
What Now San Francisco reported that the move surfaced through a recent liquor license application (that’s how we find out about new places too!), and Kitava co-founder Bryan Tublin told the outlet the team is aiming for a late spring 2026 opening.
Kitava already operates in San Francisco, Oakland, Albany, and at SFO, which would make Walnut Creek its fifth location. On its website, the company describes its food as “real food everyone can enjoy” and says its menu is built around dishes free of gluten, dairy, corn, soy, peanuts, refined sugar, and seed oils.
It looks a bit like a more casual version of True Food Kitchen, a long-serving WC restaurant that’s also focused on “clean” eating.
For downtown Walnut Creek, the move would add another health-focused option. It makes sense, in terms of the local. Several hair and nail places, a skin-focused med spa, and Mike’s Bikes are right next door.
It makes perfect sense to go for a haircut or beauty treatment and then have a healthy, light lunch afterwards. Equally, the kind of person who might spend $10k on a road bike at Mike’s Bikes is also probably the kind of person who would enjoy Kitava’s healthy offerings.
For the Little Pear, the closure wasn’t so much “goodbye” as “see you soon” or for some patrons, “see you in a decade or two.”
That’s because Little Pear’s proprietor is reportedly opening a new location, dubbed the Golden Pear, in the Rossmoor retirement community.
We’ll keep tabs on both Kitava and the Golden Pear. Make sure to join our free 925 News newsletter so we can keep you posted on both.
