Italian restaurant, frozen yogurt coming to La Plaza in Atascadero
Three restaurants and a rooftop bar have signed leases at La Plaza, a two-building mixed-use project in the heart of Atascadero — and the developer is looking for more retailers.
The five-year, $21 million project is perched on El Camino Real across from Sunken Gardens. Z Villages has leased about 7,000 of the 18,000 square feet of retail space so far, Z Villages partner Zoe Zappas said.
From a wine and cheese shop to a fine-dining Italian restaurant, Zappas said they prioritized leasing to local businesses.
“We’ve heard a lot from the community that they would prefer to see businesses that are home-grown, based in our local market,” Zappas said.
Frozen yogurt and cheese? Yes, please
LouLou Cheese Girl, a cheese and wine shop run by Atascadero local Malysa Lou, will move into the building closest to the plaza.
Lou caters cheesecakes, charcuterie boards and more at weddings and other events, according to her website. Zappas said Lou was ready to put down roots at a brick-and-mortar shop in Atascadero, so she signed a lease with La Plaza.
From charcuterie boards to paninis, the shop’s menu will include all things cheese and wine to pair with it.
“We love her concept,” Zappas said.
Students from local schools will use the plaza, and Zappas thinks they’ll stop by the cheese shop for snacks and sandwiches during lunch.
“They’ll probably spring for a panini or some kind of cheesy food items,” she said.
The building will also house LOL Yogurt, a Paso Robles frozen yogurt shop owned and operated by Mark Boueita.
The cheese and yogurt shops should open in September when construction on the first building is complete, Zappas said.
Fine dining comes to Atascadero
The second, larger building will house a fine-dining Italian restaurant and a rooftop bar.
The Italian restaurant, Sul Tetto, will be run by Street Side Alehouse owner Eric Peterson.
Peterson will also run the 1,500-square-foot rooftop bar, which Zappas said will be a relaxed version of fine dining and should feel “welcoming and inviting.”
“We don’t want anything too crazy where you feel like you have to wear a suit to go get a cocktail,” Zappas said. “Maybe it’s business casual, but maybe someone in jean shorts can feel completely at home there as well.”
Construction on this larger building should wrap up during the first quarter of 2022, Zappas said.
Living spaces for lease
The two three-story buildings also will offer living spaces.
In the smaller building bordering the community plaza, four penthouse-style apartments are for lease.
The two 2,100-square-foot, two-bedroom units will cost $3,900 a month, and the two 2,700-square-foot, three-bedroom apartments will cost $4,100 a month.
The larger building will have 38 smaller apartments, and Z Villages will decide on prices later in the year when construction is closer to completion.
This story was originally published July 16, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
