ORINDA, CALIFORNIA — One of the biggest changes in downtown Orinda is now taking shape at the former Bank of America building on Orinda Way.
The project is called CreekHaus, and it is planned as a new community gathering spot with coffee, food, beer, cocktails, outdoor space, private events, and offices in the heart of Orinda Village.
The development is located at 31 Orinda Way, across from the Orinda Community Center Park and near the city’s downtown core.
CreekHaus describes the project by saying that “Orinda Village is getting a new backyard this summer.”
A Major Change For A Former Bank Site
The project is especially notable because it is transforming a very recognizable piece of downtown Orinda: the old Bank of America site.
The former bank branch at 31 Orinda Way closed in March 2022. Plans later emerged to turn the site into a multi-restaurant, office, and gathering-space project facing San Pablo Creek.
The original 2023 approval called for renovating and expanding a 4,712-square-foot, single-story building into an 8,810-square-foot, two-level structure with restaurant and office uses.
In 2025, the project came back with revisions that increased the proposed building to 9,397 square feet and added a 540-square-foot third story for storage and rooftop mechanical access, according to the City of Orinda’s planning notice.
That may not sound enormous by Walnut Creek or San Francisco standards. But for downtown Orinda, where restaurant space is limited and many of the town’s commercial buildings are relatively small, CreekHaus is a serious new addition.
What Is Going Into CreekHaus?
CreekHaus says Equator Coffees will anchor the daytime side of the project, while CreekHaus Beer Garden will bring in PizzaHacker, Bay Area craft beer, live music, and seasonal events under the oak trees.
The project is also expected to eventually include an upscale bistro, a full cocktail bar, a lounge, and private event spaces.
The Creek-Facing Piece Matters
One of the most interesting parts of the project is not just what faces Orinda Way. It is what faces the creek.
Plans call for a rear deck facing San Pablo Creek, with restaurant seating and a bar.
That detail is important in Orinda, where San Pablo Creek runs behind parts of downtown but is often hidden from daily commercial life. Friends of Orinda Creeks supported the project’s general creek-facing concept, while also raising concerns about making sure the creek did not become effectively privatized behind restaurant-only areas.
The updated 2025 project revisions also included modifications to the rear, creek-facing deck, along with changes to floor plans, windows, doors, facade materials, and external staircases for upper deck egress, according to the city planning notice.
A Bet On Downtown Orinda
CreekHaus is also part of a bigger moment for Orinda’s downtown.
City leaders have been openly talking about downtown Orinda’s potential as a stronger dining and shopping destination.
When Orinda launched its DowntownOrinda.com website in 2025, Mayor Latika Malkani said downtown has the ingredients to become a premier Lamorinda shopping and dining destination, specifically naming projects like Theater Square and the soon-to-open CreekHaus.
That fits with what is happening nearby. Theatre Square is also expected to get Sorso, a wine bar and small Italian plates concept planned for the former Starbucks space near the Orinda Theatre. Together, Sorso and CreekHaus could substantially change the food and drink options in a downtown that has long had loyal local spots.
Who Is Behind It?
CreekHaus is being developed by Paymun, led by Ben Zarrin, an Orinda resident known locally for luxury home development in Wilder.
Paymun’s own website describes the company as a real estate, design, and development firm based at 25 Orinda Way. For Zarrin, the project has been framed less as a conventional retail build-out and more as a gathering place for Orinda.
When Will CreekHaus Open?
CreekHaus says the project is opening this summer in Orinda Village.
As with any construction project, timelines can shift. But if the summer opening holds, Orinda residents could soon see one of the most visible downtown transformations in years: a former bank branch turned into a coffee shop, beer garden, restaurant, event space, and creek-facing gathering hub.
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