North Bay Business Journal

ROHNERT PARK — Amy’s Kitchen brought the convenience of frozen vegetarian meals to the grocery aisle 25 years ago, and now the Petaluma-based packaged-foods company wants to do the same for the fast-food drive-through.

PETALUMA — A significant North Bay commercial real estate owner, developer and property manager, RNM Properties, announced the opening of Zócalos Latin Grill at the popular Adobe Creek Center. The new 3,900- square-foot full-service restaurant opened its doors last month.

NAPA — Downtown Napa has seen 13 restaurant openings since December 2009.

SONOMA – Dean Biersch, owner of HopMonk Tavern in Sebastopol, announced plans to open a second location in Sonoma this summer. The new tavern will be in the old Deuce/Emmy’s Restaurant location at 691 Broadway.

The Napa County retail shopping centers market ended 2009 with a vacancy of 3.9 percent, a slim decrease compared with 4.0 percent in 2008. The Solano County retail shopping centers market vacancy pushed into double-digits as it closed 2009 at 12.3 percent, compared with 7.2 percent at year-end 2008.

NAPA – Food Network celebrity chef and Mill Valley resident Tyler Florence has signed a lease for a casual, rotisserie-centered eatery in the $72-million Napa Riverfront project. He is the second television star to commit to space in the new building.

Officials with the project also announced the recent signature of prominent North Bay restaurant developer Michael Dellar.

SANTA ROSA – Local restaurants and national chains are talking up the launch of Servisensor, a device thought up by frequent-diner-out and first-time inventor Brenda Solheim.

LARKSPUR – The founders of the long-established fine-dining Lark Creek Inn resolved to shift its focus this year in light of the recession and will unveil its new “neighborhood dining model” called The Tavern at Lark Creek.

North Bay restaurateurs confirmed last week the definitive arrival of the recession in hospitality, and though some have joined the ever-lengthening list of eateries looking to sell, others are doing what they can do to embrace the change.