LAFAYETTE, CALIFORNIA — From outside Craft and Fire, the dark windows don’t give much away.
If you’ve walked through the courtyard behind Lafayette’s Whole Foods Market, you’ve probably seen Craft and Fire, and wondered when or if it would open.
We’ve been following it for more than two years, and almost every week, a reader writes in to ask “Is this place still happening?”
Recently, owner Aaron Steward invited me inside, for an exclusive first look at the soon-to-open restaurant. We broke the story about Craft and Fire years ago, and we’re the first journalists Steward invited inside.
What I found was a nearly finished room filled with wood, copper, custom metalwork, and an extraordinary amount of personal attention. There are tap handles made from old railroad spikes, a menu board assembled with Scrabble pieces, and a fireplace at the back of a space designed to “make you feel as though you’ve walked into someone’s cabin”, in Steward’s words.
Steward is now targeting an approaching opening date (more details below) with final kitchen equipment, finishing touches, and permitting approvals still to complete.
After stepping through those darkened doors, I came away with a much clearer picture of what he’s been building–and the vision for Craft and Fire.
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A grocery trip led to a long-vacant space
Steward told me his search for this location came together in 2023, during a trip to Whole Foods.
He had been looking for a place in Lafayette where he could bring together craft beer, pizza, indoor seating, outdoor dining, televised sports (as there are limited sports bars in Lafayette), and live music. Finding a space that could accommodate all of that had proved challenging.
Then he noticed a sign in the courtyard behind the supermarket. A wine bar called Winebar 1976 was supposed to be opening there in 2020.
By that point, the sign was several years out of date. Steward suspected the project had never made it through the pandemic. When he investigated, he said, he learned that the wine bar wasn’t going to open and that the space had actually been vacant for 13 years.
He began working with the landlord on a different future for it.
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Craft and Fire already had an East Bay history. Before the Lafayette project, it operated in Martinez, where 7×7’s 2023 guide described an artisan pizza and craft beer bar of that name inside Market & Main at 610 Main Street.
We first covered the Lafayette plans in July 2024, when the business was aiming for a summer opening. By our May 2025 update, a storefront sign advertised spring 2025.
Those dates came and went. Steward described a lengthy process involving both extensive customization and permitting delays. During this visit, he was able to show me where much of that work and time had gone.
Behind the black windows
The transformation begins outside, where Steward has replaced the dated stone treatment he inherited and incorporated a black-painted fence made from wine-barrel staves.
Then there are those windows.
The dark tint makes it difficult to see in, although the view outward is much clearer. Steward said people sometimes assume the black windows mean little has happened inside.
In fact, he told me he has already invited more than 100 people from the community in to see the progress.
He likes the surprise when they step through the door. So much so that he intends to keep the windows dark.
That decision connects to his background in hospitality. Steward told me he has spent years in the food and hospitality industries, including running nightclubs.
He thinks about the experience of entering a room that’s hidden from outside view: people have an expectation, but they need to come inside to really know what the space looks like. And that’s an opportunity to surprise them, while also creating a feeling of stepping inside something exclusive and inviting.
Here, the effect is immediately warm. Wood and copper appear throughout the approximately 1,200-square-foot interior. Copper accents are set into the walls, with additional copper detailing around the bar and tap installation.
There’s so much copper in the interior, Steward told me, that a visiting Ayurvedic practitioner told him the space would have a strong healing energy.
The fireplace gives the room a focal point and brings the “fire” part of the “Craft and Fire” name into the design.
As Steward walked me through the space, he explained the decisions behind even small details.
At one point, he described the modifications needed to get a ceiling beam to look the way he wanted, the choice of light fixtures at tables (ones with integrated charging ports, so people don’t need to charge phones behind the bar), and the details of his installation of the perfect flooring.
Railroad spikes and a Scrabble menu
Some of the most distinctive details are right where customers will order a drink.
Instead of a row of familiar brewery-branded handles, the taps feature old railroad spikes and metal figures. Steward said an ironworker twisted the spikes into shape and added brass elements, creating handles that fit the surrounding metalwork.
The menu board is similarly personal. It uses Scrabble game pieces to spell out the drink names. During my visit, the lettering was still a placeholder for the eventual selections, so don’t hold the restaurant to the specifics you see in my photos.
Those details also reflect how Steward wants to choose what goes into the glasses.
He said he chose to build his own tap system, taking on the added expense and work because he wanted control over the lineup. His priority is flexibility: the ability to bring in beers from different producers and change the selection as he finds things he wants to serve. Using a tap system built by a distributor–a common practice for taprooms–would lock him into using that distributor’s beers.
The current Craft and Fire website advertises 28 rotating taps. Earlier announcements cited a different count, but 28 is the figure the business now lists.
Steward described the possibilities enthusiastically. He could put a greater emphasis on less common ciders or sours, for example, when he wants to explore those styles.
This will be a taproom rather than a brewery making its own beer. Steward told me he considered brewing but felt the area already had plenty of strong options. He wanted to focus on selecting beers and creating a place to enjoy them.
Wine will also be part of the offering, with the website listing bottled wine and bubbly. Steward said cocktails aren’t part of the concept.
Pizza gets the kitchen’s attention
On the food side, Steward wants to keep things very tight.
That means pizza, almost exclusively. He isn’t looking to build a sprawling menu of wings and other bar food, he told me, explaining that each additional category brings more complexity (and equipment) to the operation.
Instead, he wants the kitchen’s attention on making excellent pizza to accompany the drinks.
He told me he has connections with Tony Gemignani, the pizza maker behind Slice House, and described Gemignani’s work as an inspiration. That influence is part of Steward’s thinking about the quality he wants to achieve.
Craft and Fire’s website describes its planned pizzas as Neapolitan-style, made with organic 00 flour. Steward also emphasized premium ingredients during our conversation.
This visit was a look at the space and plans, so a verdict on the finished pizza will have to wait until the kitchen is serving.
A place to stay after the game
Steward’s plans extend beyond the indoor room.
A patio wraps around the outside, and he sees potential in a courtyard that, he said, gets quieter after dark as neighboring businesses close.
He would like to bring live music to the patio on weekend nights, with a satellite bar serving the outdoor area. Sports are another part of his vision, including televisions inside.
He also hopes to stay open later — around 11:30 p.m. — so people can watch a game and keep spending time together afterward.
Over the years of working on the project, Steward said, he has developed friendships with nearby business owners. He described interest from neighbors and local sports teams in gathering at the restaurant once it opens.
The shopping center’s parking lot is another practical advantage he sees in the location. For people deciding where to meet friends, being able to park near the restaurant could be an appealing part of the experience.
Families are welcome, with a calmer atmosphere
Steward is also thinking carefully about who will use the space.
Families will be welcome, he said. But he envisions a calmer atmosphere with an adult sensibility, where people can relax and talk.
That doesn’t mean he has forgotten his youngest visitors.
One of the most charming ideas he shared came from his own childhood. He remembered a dentist who kept an old travel chest filled with little prizes for children to choose from after appointments.
He wants to create something similar at Craft and Fire, joking that “maybe I was a pirate in another life.”
The courtyard already attracts families visiting neighboring businesses, including Yogurt Shack. Steward imagines a treasure chest of small prizes becoming a way to welcome children and their families to the restaurant.
When will Craft + Fire open?
After several earlier targets, the obvious question is when Lafayette will finally get to try it.
Steward told me he is aiming for December 2026. At the time of my visit, remaining work included final touches, installation of some kitchen equipment, and the approvals needed to open. He said he is continuing to work with the city, investors, and others involved in getting the project across the finish line.
The business’s website still says an opening date will be announced soon. We’ll let you know as soon as we have a firm date. Remember to join our 925 news newsletter.
Craft and Fire is at 3506 Mount Diablo Boulevard, in the courtyard behind Whole Foods in Lafayette. For now, it is still a place you can walk past without realizing how much is behind the windows.
Having been inside, I’ll be looking at those windows differently.
