Warby Parker opened its sixth location in Los Angeles on Jan 27. The newest store of the prescription eyeglass and sunglass provider opened at 232 S. Brand Blvd. in Glendale. The New York-based retailer already has L.A. market stores in Venice, West Hollywood and downtown Los Angeles. The newest opening was prompted by the success the company has received from the Los Angeles market. “L.A. is such an expansive city, and we’re always looking to explore new corners of it,” said Dave Gilboa, co-founder and co-chief executive of Warby Parker. “There’s a lot about our particular location in Glendale that we’re excited about, from the Americana at Brand, which is right across the street from us, to the Museum of Neon Art.” Before investing to put up a brick-and-mortar store, Warby’s management conducted some research. It revealed customers who were shopping online and showed a big retail audience in Glendale. The Glendale location is roughly 1,300 square feet. During the grand opening, Warby Parker gave out gifts like balloons, frozen custard from nearby Shake Shack, and posters from Los Angeles artist Andrew Ho. One of Ho’s murals that takes inspiration from midcentury California design will also be on display in the shop. “We design all of our stores to feel distinct, and this one has a beautiful original mural,” Gilboa said. With every new opening, Warby Parker features exclusive limited-edition sunglasses. At the Glendale location, the company is offering Topper 16 in Crystal with Flash Mirrored Sky-Blue lenses. This is a limited sunglass edition that can only be found at the Glendale location. Customers can stop by the Glendale location to shop for the exclusive limited-edition clear and angular lenses while supplies last. The glasses retail for $95. Made From Scratch Restaurant chain Urban Plates has opened its 13th location on Feb. 5 in Woodland Hills. Located at 21857 Ventura Blvd., the restaurant specializes in serving 100 percent scratch-made meals by sourcing every ingredient including local produce, free-range chicken, grass-fed beef and sustainably sourced seafood. Customers can stop by for lunch or dinner and pick from salads, sandwiches, and the Woodland Hills location newest chef-crafted bowls of salmon, tuna and organic tuna poke. Items on the menu range anywhere from $7.50 to $12.50. Joe O’Donnell, chief operating officer at Urban Plates told the Business Journal the restaurant is a fast-paced eatery but that doesn’t mean low-quality food. “The best thing about our concept is that it’s a fast-casual restaurant committed to providing a wide variety, made from scratch, of chef-inspired meals, but the kicker is at an affordable price.” During the grand opening, the restaurateur partnered with the Valley Food Bank in Pacoima to raise funds. By the end of the day, the restaurant raised $5,000 to help feed people in the San Fernando Valley. “It is one of our core values, we chose to be involved in the local communities, after all that’s who we are serving and we never lose sight of that,” O’Donnell said. “It’s the right thing to do.” Target’s Small Format Target Corp. will open its newest small-format store in Burbank West in April. About 85 employees will work in the approximately 24,000-square-foot store in Magnolia Park. Target hosted job fairs Jan. 18 and 19 to start the hiring process. The Burbank location is part of more than 30 new format stores Target plans to open in 2018. By the end of 2019, the retailer plans to have more than 130 of the small-format stores. “Our small-format stores are typically a smaller format that allows us to go into communities where we wouldn’t be able to fit before,” said Target spokesperson Jacqueline DeBuse. “It allows us to bring a Target experience to new customers.” The new employees are currently in training for the store opening. “We look for applicants who are passionate and excited to bring joy to our guests,” DeBuse said. “The leaders of the store are really excited with the team that they have and are excited for the store to open.” The Burbank West store will serve guests in urban and dense suburban neighborhoods, and Target has tailored the inventory to meet the needs of that local demographic. “The store will offer fresh groceries, apparel and everyday essentials,” DeBuse said. “Our team has been choosing the assortment (of goods) carefully to make sure it fits the needs of customers.” Staff reporter Stephanie Bedolla can be reached at [email protected] or (818) 316-3130.
