The windows at Craft and Fire are still dark. The taproom sits in the courtyard behind Whole Foods Market at 3506 Mt. Diablo Boulevard. Bay Area Telegraph got a first look inside in mid-October and found wood, copper, and custom metalwork. The tap handles are made from old railroad spikes, the menu board is built from Scrabble pieces, and there's a fireplace at the back of the room. Owner Aaron Steward told the outlet he wants the room to "make you feel as though you've walked into someone's cabin."
The room is nearly finished. Getting it there has taken years, and the reason applies to most of the storefronts changing along Mt. Diablo Boulevard this fall. In downtown Lafayette, the strongest clue to how soon a space finds its next tenant is what it was before. A space that was already a restaurant gets a new operator within weeks. A space that has to become a restaurant can take years. Each of the projects below fits that rule.
Thirteen Years Behind Whole Foods
Steward found the space in 2023 on a trip to Whole Foods. He had been looking for a Lafayette location with room for craft beer, pizza, indoor and outdoor seating, televised sports, and live music, and spaces that could do all of that were hard to find. The courtyard still had a sign for Winebar 1976, which was supposed to open there in 2020. As Bay Area Telegraph reported, Steward learned that the wine bar wasn't coming and that the space had been empty for 13 years.
Steward has had several earlier opening targets. He is now aiming for December 2026. When the outlet visited, the remaining work included final touches, installing some of the kitchen equipment, and the approvals needed to open. He also plans a treasure chest of small prizes for children. The idea comes from a childhood dentist, and the courtyard already draws families visiting neighbors like Yogurt Shack.
That's the slow clock. The space spent years waiting for an operator, and then a few more years being built out once it had one.
Weeks, Not Years, at 3596 Mt. Diablo Boulevard
The fast clock is about four blocks east. Barranco, chef Carlos Altamirano's Peruvian seafood restaurant, spent nine years at 3596 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, on the same block as Pizza Antica and Batch & Brine. In early September, Barranco posted on Instagram that it was "closed for maintenance." On September 4, Hog Island Oyster Co. had already filed for a Type 47 state alcohol license at that address, with Barranco's existing license to transfer over. The company made it official with a press release on September 17.
Diablo Magazine reported the details. It will be Hog Island's first East Bay location, with 2,200 square feet and 130 seats, 40 of them outdoors. It will serve lunch and dinner, have a full bar, and add specials unique to Lafayette alongside the company's standard menu. Hog Island cofounder and CEO John Finger explained the choice in the announcement:
"We've been looking for the right opportunity to bring Hog Island to the East Bay, and Lafayette felt like a natural fit. This location gives us the chance to create a true neighborhood restaurant while introducing Hog Island to more people on this side of the Bay. We're excited to become part of the Lafayette community and look forward to opening our doors in early 2027."
From Barranco going dark to a named successor with seat counts took about two weeks. Even before the announcement, the magazine noted that taking over a pre-existing restaurant made a full-service oyster bar the likely outcome. The San Francisco Chronicle also reported early 2027 as the target. The kitchen, hood, and liquor license are all already there, so the work left is design and buildout. Hog Island is working with its longtime partner BCV Architecture, with plans for indoor-outdoor seating and large-scale art by local artists.
The Barbecue Address and the Wine Shop That Kept Its Name
The same pattern holds at 3422 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, where Mt. Diablo BBQ opened in July. It moved into the former Horn Barbecue location, and before that the address was home to Bo's Barbecue, Boneheads, and All the Smoke. The East Bay Times reported that the family-run RSBBQ Inc. runs the restaurant. The restaurant's site lists daily hours. The operators change, but the smoker stays, and so does the barbecue.
At 3401 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, the business didn't even close. Orinda residents Daniel and Gennie Gorback bought Wine Thieves from Jim Meyers, who founded it, and the Lafayette Chamber held a ribbon cutting for the handoff on July 9. Lamorinda Weekly reported that the Gorbacks took over in May, 27 years after Meyers opened the shop. The shop was never vacant.
A Bank Building Has to Come Apart First
The slowest clock downtown belongs to the most visible corner. The former Wells Fargo building at Mt. Diablo Boulevard and Moraga Road, most recently a gallery, is being rebuilt as Lafayette Point. The Design Review Commission approved the renovation 3-0 on April 13. According to the meeting minutes, owner Steve Cortese explained that the building was designed for a single bank and needed changes to work for several businesses. He described the planned restaurant and expanded outdoor seating as the way to bring more activity to the corner.
That is a much bigger job than swapping one restaurant for another. In late October, Bay Area Telegraph reported exposed beams, open storefront bays, new wood framing, and an upper exterior stripped bare. The plans call for new windows, siding, lighting, awnings, and taller parapets, designed so the separate business spaces read as distinct storefronts. The corner restaurant space measures 2,751 square feet including its covered patio. It can be combined with the 1,067-square-foot space next door at 3527.
F&M Bank is the named tenant for a 1,614-square-foot space at 3529. In a July 23 investor presentation, Farmers & Merchants Bancorp projected the Lafayette branch for the third quarter of 2027. That date is the bank's own projection, not an opening date for the whole building. On September 14, the City Council approved artist Scott Haycock's installation for the building's triangular vaulted atrium. Draft plans described about 100 colorful acrylic shapes hung in 30 to 35 mobile groupings, moving gently with the air and visible from the street.
Where Each Downtown Address Stands
| Address | Before | Next | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3596 Mt. Diablo Blvd. | Barranco, a restaurant for nine years | Hog Island Oyster Co. | Early 2027 |
| 3422 Mt. Diablo Blvd. | A run of barbecue restaurants | Mt. Diablo BBQ | Opened July 2026 |
| 3401 Mt. Diablo Blvd. | Wine Thieves | Wine Thieves, new owners | Changed hands in May 2026 |
| 3506 Mt. Diablo Blvd. | Vacant 13 years | Craft and Fire | December 2026 |
| 3525–3529 Mt. Diablo Blvd. | Bank branch, then gallery | Corner restaurant space, F&M Bank | Bank projected Q3 2027 |
The table sorts itself. The addresses with a kitchen already in place have operators, or soon will. The two spaces that needed to be rebuilt for dining are the ones on long timelines.
Two Storefronts Waiting on a Next Use
Two other downtown spaces closed between late August and late September, and neither was a restaurant. The Starbucks at 3547 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Suite A, in La Fiesta Square closed for good on September 25. Bay Area Telegraph reported the papered-over windows in early October. For a morning cup, Papillon Gourmet Coffee & Tea is in the same center at 67 Lafayette Circle and has been in Lafayette since 1983. Philz Coffee at 3597 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, across the street from the future Hog Island, lists hours of 5:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.
A few blocks west, Hank & Frank Bicycles at 3377 Mt. Diablo Boulevard closed at the end of August after 101 years. The shop was founded in 1925 on East 14th Street in Oakland and moved to Lafayette in 1974. Frank Dryer took it over from his father in 1991. Patch reported that Dryer retired as of 5 p.m. on closing day and that the business was for sale. Lamorinda Weekly quoted his hope "to be able to pass on the bicycling institution to a new worthy operator."
Not every change downtown involves a closure. The First Street Corner center near Mt. Diablo Boulevard and First Street, home to Lafayette Boba and Cuts Unlimited, was repainted from green and red to gray and white in late October. Craft and Fire is still aiming for December, so the courtyard behind Whole Foods is the first of these spaces to watch.
Storefront history shapes how fast a Lafayette space turns over, and it can shape a home sale or purchase in the same way. At Dudum Real Estate Group, our Lafayette/Lamorinda office follows what's changing on Mt. Diablo Boulevard, and we're happy to share that local view whenever you're ready. Get Started.
