Sew long, JoAnn
Plus, news on Chicago Cafe in Woodland, Nick the Greek and Domino’s Pizza
Almost all the JoAnn fabrics and crafts stores are slated to close, including the one in Woodland.
After filing for bankruptcy last year, JoAnn announced on Jan. 15 that it intends to sell the business, warning it could lead to closure of all stores. In a new court filing on Wednesday, it named some 500 “underperforming” stores across the country that are slated for closure. The only one in the Sacramento area that was spared is Roseville.
JoAnn has one store in Yolo County: at 375 W. Main St. in Woodland. It has more than 800 stores in 49 states, and has been in business for 80 years, according to its website. No timeline was given for the closures.
Last month, Michael Prendergast, interim chief executive officer of JoAnn, said, “The last several years have presented significant and lasting challenges in the retail environment, which, coupled with our current financial position and constrained inventory levels, forced us to take this step.”
JoAnn has one store in Yolo County, at 375 W. Main St. in Woodland. It has more than 800 stores in 49 states and has been in business for 80 years, according to its website.
→ History for sale: The state’s oldest Chinese food restaurant – Chicago Cafe in Woodland – is for sale.
The owners of the eatery at 411 Main St. hope to retire. They are asking $50,000 for the 2,377 square-foot restaurant. Paul and Nancy Fong own the building, and are the third generation in their family to run the eatery.
According to a story by the Sacramento Business Journal, the family has proof that the restaurant opened in 1903. City records set it at 1910, because Asian-owned restaurants were not included in the count until then. UC Davis research confirmed this last year. It’s possible it’s the oldest continuously running Chinese food restaurant in the country.
The story said the two adult Fong children do not plan to take over the business. Paul and Nancy Fong are offering two weeks of their time to train the incoming buyers. The sale would include the business name, recipes and furnishings.
The business comes with eight months of rent reduction to accommodate required remodeling. Required renovations include a new restroom that’s compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and a new walk-in freezer. The lease would begin at $4,000 a month, and go up 3 percent a year.
Check out the listing here.
→ Greek rush: The Mediterranean fast-food chain Nick the Greek is rapidly expanding across the U.S. Through strategic franchising, it is “transforming from a local Bay Area favorite into a national powerhouse,” a news release said.
Nick the Greek has one restaurant in Yolo County: at 206 E St. in Davis.
“With over 80 locations in operation and dozens more in the pipeline, the brand is on track to reach 100 restaurants nationwide by the end of 2025,” the release said. “Recent innovations, including the debut of drive-thru models in Porter, Texas, and Ceres, California, highlight its commitment to growth, innovation and customer convenience.”
It called Nick the Greek “a compelling success story of a Bay Area-born brand that has harnessed the power of franchising to achieve nationwide growth.”
→ Setting up Domino’s: Davis will soon have a second Domino’s Pizza again, when one opens at 662 G St.
Davis already has a Domino’s at 4120 Chiles Road, Unit B, which reopened after an extended pandemic closure. I reached out to the company’s media relations team for more details.
→ Business Tracker: The redesigned Davis Business Tracker lists the status of hundreds of Davis businesses. The new design is easier to read and sort. It’s a great resource when you want to check on merchants that I’ve written about since the pandemic.
– Share your thoughts in the comments below. If you know of a business coming or going in the area – or if you see a typo above – email wendy@comingsandgoings.news. Give a Comings & Going gift subscription here. If you’re on Facebook and Instagram, please like and follow.
Thanks Wendy! By the way, I got an email from Bank of America that they are closing the 2nd Street branch location (the one near Target)! By June 2025. Not sure if you heard that or not. They are referring everyone to the E Street branch instead.
Any leads on what’s replacing the Burger King in Woodland? On Main St next to Home Depot. Renovations have started.