Walnut Creek’s shuttered Big 5 Sporting Goods building appears poised for a major transformation — into a large-format specialty wine, liquor and gifting destination.
A pending California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control application for 1630 Mt. Diablo Blvd. lists the applicant as ValueHawk Inc., doing business as SIPS. That is the same operator behind SIPS The Bottle Emporium, the Benicia retailer known for rare bourbon, additive-free tequila, wine, craft beer, cigars, barware and gift-ready bottles.
The filing strongly suggests Walnut Creek is getting a retail-focused SIPS outpost, rather than a restaurant or conventional bar.
The applicant has sought a Type 21 license, California’s off-sale general license for retail stores selling beer, wine and distilled spirits for off-premises consumption. It also applied for a Type 86 instructional tasting license, which allows limited tastings of beer, wine and spirits within a qualifying off-sale retail store.
That combination points to something closer to a high-end bottle emporium — a place to browse allocated whiskey, premium tequila, Champagne, wine, craft beer, cigars and gifts, with occasional educational tasting events — than a place built around drinking on-site.
The planned location is a particularly big one. The former Big 5 building at the corner of Mount Diablo Boulevard and North California Boulevard was marketed as a freestanding retail space with approximately 7,965 square feet on the ground floor, another roughly 1,500 square feet of mezzanine space, and a dedicated adjacent parking lot.
That is dramatically larger than the company’s original Benicia store at 736 First Street, where SIPS has built a reputation as a wine, spirits, cigar and gift retailer. Its own local business listing describes the shop as carrying wine, Champagne, craft beer, fine spirits, specialty liquor, custom cocktail kits, gift baskets, snacks, party supplies and premium cigars.
The ABC application was filed April 21, 2026 and remains pending, meaning the store is not yet cleared to open and an opening date has not been announced.
Still, the paperwork offers a clear early look at what could replace one of downtown Walnut Creek’s most prominent vacant retail buildings: a very large, polished bottle shop aimed at collectors, gift buyers, hosts and anyone who takes their bourbon, tequila or Champagne selection seriously.
We’ll follow this closely and see if our prediction turns out to be correct. Make sure to join our free 925 News newsletter so we can keep you posted.
