LAFAYETTE, CALIFORNIA — There’s a new name on a familiar downtown Lafayette storefront–at least in the form of a temporary banner.
Initial signage is now up for Joy Bao, the Chinese dumpling restaurant taking over the former Round Table Pizza at 3637 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, near Diablo Foods.
For people who have been watching the space since the pizza restaurant closed earlier this year, it’s another visible step toward its next chapter. And public records provide a little more detail about how long the new restaurant has been in the works, although much is still unknown.
A longtime pizza spot gets a new identity
Round Table’s departure was initially something of a mystery.
When Bay Area Telegraph reported on the apparent closure on March 11, readers had noticed that tables were gone and booths had been dismantled. Some online listings suggested a temporary closure, leaving open the possibility that the restaurant was simply remodeling.
By March 24, that hope had faded. A notice posted on the doors and windows confirmed the Lafayette restaurant was permanently closed. It directed customers to the Round Table at 361 Rheem Boulevard in Moraga.
The closure ended a long run. Local residents told Bay Area Telegraph they remembered the Lafayette restaurant from at least the 1990s, and older restaurant directories document it at the Mount Diablo Boulevard address in the 2000s.
The reason for the Lafayette closure was never confirmed in our reporting.
What is planned for Joy Bao?
The first clear indication of a replacement arrived in May.
When we stopped by the property, crews were removing the old restaurant interior, with a large dumpster outside. Someone at the site told us a Chinese restaurant was coming.
The following day, we had a name. As Bay Area Telegraph reported May 14, the City of Lafayette confirmed that it had approved interior tenant improvements for what it described as a “Chinese dumpling restaurant, Joy Bao.”
Now, a separate county record adds to that timeline.
Contra Costa Health’s public plan-review database lists a Joy Bao project at 3637 Mt. Diablo Boulevard under service request SR0025279. It shows plans submitted on October 16, 2025, and approved on December 8, 2025.
The request names Andy Yang of Golden Brick Construction, Inc. as the requester.
That establishes that the project had reached the county’s health-plan review process months before Round Table’s permanent closure was confirmed in March. It also adds a second documented approval to the city’s earlier confirmation of interior improvements.
The health record is a plan-review approval, however, and does not establish that construction is finished (in fact, it still seems well underway) or that the restaurant has received final clearance to open. Its public summary does not provide a seating count, a detailed kitchen layout, or a menu.
When can we try it?
Bay Area Telegraph has not confirmed an opening date, operating hours, or prices for Joy Bao. The city’s description gives us a clear idea of the restaurant’s focus, but we still don’t know which dumplings it will serve or what else will be on the menu.
We’ll keep following Joy Bao as it moves toward opening.
