Atascadero is getting a beer garden, ice cream shop and boutique hat store — here’s where
A new retail and restaurant development is coming to Atascadero — and it’s bringing a beer garden, ice cream shop and boutique hat store to the downtown area.
Z Villages will build a 1,900-square-foot complex out of seven steel shipping containers at 6090 El Camino Real, next door to Colony Market and Deli and the Traffic Way intersection.
The development firm — which is also constructing the massive La Plaza project down the street — purchased the property in 2017 as part of a package deal that included the Colony Market site, said Zoe Zappas, a Z Villages marketing and project manager.
The new project will fit into an L-shaped space between the market and the next building over, which is home to Patterson Realty and Motions Academy of Dance. A parking lot will occupy the back portion of the property.
Zappas said Z Villages started talking seriously about the concept in 2019, and the city’s Design Review Committee approved it that October. Using shipping containers as the basis for a project can help cut down on construction time, she said.
“We’re really excited to kind of use this as a guinea pig project for other developments,” Zappas said.
As soon as Zappas began posting about the idea on social media, Z Villages began getting inquiries about the project.
“I think I posted about it on Instagram and people were, like, pounding down our doors,” she said.
The complex’s courtyard will feature Ancient Owl Beer Garden and Bottle Shop, in addition to a seating area and a stage.
Negranti Creamery, a sheep’s milk ice cream maker, will open its second Paso Robles location in one of two street-facing spaces.
Another tenant will be Stellar + Sun Hat Co., a Cayucos custom hat retailer that’s opening its first brick-and-mortar shop.
The new businesses will complement Colony Market and Deli, allowing customers buying sandwiches and food to grab a beer or ice cream next door, Zappas said.
Construction will start soon, and the retailer and restaurants will likely open by October or November, she said.
