Downtown Napa Spent the Fall Rearranging Itself. Here's Where Everyone Landed.

Petit Soleil was at 1408 Clay St. for years. That address now belongs to Valencia Cafe, and Petit Soleil serves coffee out of 1000 Imola Ave. A few blocks away, Don Perico has moved into First Street Napa. Riza Plants, upstairs in the same complex, has a closing sale running and a final day of Friday, Nov. 13.

Most of what changed downtown this year was a business you already know moving to a new spot, a larger room or a different line of work. Very little came from outside. First Street Napa is close to full, so its changes now come from tenants already in the building. The one truly new arrival is the seven-story building going up at First and Main, and this holiday season is the last one before it opens.

One Clay Street address, two local businesses

Petit Soleil's move started with a lease. Owner Trena Madrigal's café gave up its Clay Street space when the lease ran out in February. The Napa Valley Register's story on the new Imola Avenue location ran under the headline "More room, same vibe."

The empty space did not stay empty long. Valencia Cafe moved into 1408 Clay St., and the Register described the move as a fresh start for a longtime local business. The owner previously ran a market, and the new space is a full-service restaurant with an outdoor patio, more seats and plans for beer, wine and happy hour.

Don Perico made a similar move. The Mexican restaurant opened in First Street Napa's Suite 201 at the end of June, bringing its menu and margaritas into a bigger space with indoor and outdoor seating. In a July 29 business overview published by the City of Napa, First Street Napa called it "a longtime Napa favorite."

First Street Napa is running out of empty suites

The City of Napa overview says First Street Napa is more than 90 percent occupied. It also says one more opening, Lucchese Bootmaker in Suite 202, will leave the project "fully built out." The Texas bootmaker was founded in San Antonio in 1883, and this will be its first and only California store. Its timing is still described as "fall," with no opening day announced, so check before you plan a visit around it.

Several of this year's First Street openings came from Napa people already invested downtown. Susan Melendez, who is also behind The Bennington Napa Valley, opened Hopscotch & Bark in Suite 335 in June. It's a boutique for children and their dogs. Architect Taylor Silleman opened BACI in Suite 221 in mid to late July. It's a home and design studio and a sister brand to Tay & Grace, the boutique her mother founded. Napa Fragrance at 1252 First St., under the Archer Hotel, and the Flora Springs Wine Lounge in the historic Gordon Building at 1142 First St. both opened in February.

With so few empty suites, turnover now happens when existing tenants make their own choices. Riza Plants is the clearest example. The "botanical boutique" opened at 1300 First St. in October 2020. It is closing the shop because its commercial plant work has outgrown it. "Our commercial plant maintenance and planterior design work has grown so much that we are putting all of our energy into it," founder and CEO Alyssa Piombo said in a statement reported by the Napa Valley Register. In November the business plans to open a studio for plant design, installation and maintenance for wineries, hotels and businesses across the valley. It will keep running workshops and event rentals. The closing sale began Wednesday, Oct. 14.

Riza's kids' terrarium workshops were among the hands-on activities the city overview listed as part of First Street's appeal. Others included candle making at Bougie, lipstick making at Lip Lab and live music at Tonewood & Courage. The workshops will continue, just no longer from a storefront in the complex.

The new arrival with the most to it sits off First Street altogether. Matrix is a late-night lounge at 1045 Franklin St., and Register photos show it full of patrons on Wednesday, Sept. 9. Owner John Truchard opened it with partners Dante and Meg Javar. Late-night food comes from DuWende, a pop-up run by Alex and Cassan Macaraig of Winston's. Two familiar names are again part of the team, as the Register's coverage of Matrix points out.

The building that comes after the reshuffle

All this moving happens next to a construction site. Phase II of First Street Napa stands at First and Main and is a $300 million project. The City of Napa describes a 161-room hotel, a 78-unit residential building and a full rebuild of the Brown Street corridor into a publicly accessible paseo.

The Napa Valley Register reported in July that both seven-story buildings topped out in May. Crews were enclosing them in glass, stone and metal and expected windows and doors in by August. Kameron Klotz of developer 300 Venture Group estimated the project at about 40 percent complete as of that July report. The developer expects it to open as early as summer 2027. Plans include a hotel restaurant, retail, a spa, a pool, ballroom space, new landscaping and public art. Klotz called the seventh-floor view "the best advertising for downtown Napa there is."

So the order of events goes like this. The original First Street Napa complex reaches full build-out with Lucchese. Its tenants trade spaces and change formats. Then the next big change opens next door, if the 2027 schedule holds. The furniture, lighting and greenery planned for the original complex's pedestrian walkway and "artist alley" were still being finalized as of the July overview, and no installation date was given.

The downtown calendar from Halloween to the holiday stroll

Several of the season's events gather around Veterans Park and Brown Street, the same corridor Phase II will rebuild. If the developer's timeline holds, this is the last holiday season on downtown's current layout. Here are the dates, in order, as listed by the Downtown Napa Association:

1. Hometown Halloween, Sat., Oct. 31, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. More than 100 downtown businesses are expected to host trick-or-treating. The Boys & Girls Clubs will run fall activities at First Street Napa. Event details.
2. Napa Dia de los Muertos, Sat., Nov. 7, 3 to 8 p.m. At Veterans Park and Brown Street, with art, tradition, music, dance and food. The City of Napa's event page has the full program.
3. Riza Plants' last storefront day, Fri., Nov. 13. The closing sale runs until then at Suite 355.
4. Merry Meritage ice skating, Nov. 19 through Jan. 3. This is out at The Meritage Resort and Spa, not downtown, but it's on the same calendar. Rink listing.
5. Tree Lighting, listed for Nov. 27 at 6 p.m. At Veterans' Memorial Park, Third and Main streets, with hot chocolate, cookies, youth dancers and entertainment. The listing doesn't print a year, so confirm closer to the date.
6. 61st annual Christmas Parade, Sat., Dec. 5, starting at 5 p.m. This year's theme is "Joy to the World and Peace on Earth." Floats start at Second and School streets, head east on Second, turn right on Brown, then right on Third back to School. Judging is on Third near Coombs. Bad weather cancels the parade. Afterward, Santa is at the Napa Valley Welcome Center in First Street Napa. Parade details.
7. Holiday Shop, Sip & Stroll, Sat., Dec. 12, 3 to 5 p.m. Wine splashes, shopping and live music at First Street Napa. Event listing.

The newer weekly events still run between those dates. Sunday Socials at First Street's Deuces Market go from 4 to 6 p.m. Tiki Tuesdays run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Here's how one Saturday can cover the new map. Start with coffee at Petit Soleil's new spot on Imola. Stop by Valencia Cafe at its old Clay Street address. Then end up on Brown Street for Dia de los Muertos, a block from the cranes at First and Main.

If you're wondering how changes like these affect the parts of town you care about, I'm glad to talk it through. Downtown Napa is one of the places I watch closely, and you can reach me anytime at Regina Gaspari. Let's Connect.