An ice cream shop, a brewery and a coffeehouse are among the tenants coming to a new marketplace at San Luis Ranch housing development in San Luis Obispo.
SLO Ranch Farms and Marketplace will open with a number of new restaurants and shops in early 2024.
“The whole concept is to be community focused, community oriented and to have our roots in locals and local businesses,” Jacob Grossman, project manager said.
In addition to eateries and shops, SLO Ranch Farms and Marketplace will feature a public museum, organic farm and community garden plots.
The new development is an expansion of the San Luis Ranch neighborhood which offers diverse housing and recreational spaces.
“Our goal has always been to create a family-friendly gathering space — not just for the San Luis Ranch neighborhood, but for the entire San Luis Obispo community,” Grossman said.
“A lot of the people we attract are going to be able to walk and ride their bikes from across the street as well as surrounding communities,” he added.
SLO Ranch Farms will feature two historic buildings including a barn and home built in the early 1900s.
They will be used as a part of the Agricultural Heritage Center on-site. “Where we feel that we’re unique is our roots and connection to our 40 acres of farmland and San Luis Obispo’s roots in the agrarian culture,” Grossman said.
“A lot of our tenants will use homegrown ingredients in their establishment, so it’s really a farm-to-table experience,” he said.
Negranti Creamery plans to open its fourth San Luis Obispo County scoop shop at SLO Ranch Farms and Marketplace.
Based in Paso Robles, the creamery was founded by Cal Poly graduate Alexis Negranti in 2010.
Negranti started the creamery after searching for a healthy ice cream she could serve to her family, said Arete Food Group president Seth Brink, whose company partners with Negranti Creamery.
Negranti Creamery uses locally produced sheep’s milk to produce frozen treats that are safe for lactose-intolerant people.
Brink said Negranti Creamery is looking forward to opening a new store at SLO Ranch Farms and Marketplace.
“It’s a meeting place, so that’s what’s really attracting us to the area,” Brink said. “We’re super excited about what the project has to offer, not only us, but the other tenants too.”
Negranti Creamery plans to open its SLO Ranch Farms location at the end of 2023.
The business currently has locations in Paso Robles, Atascadero, and Boise, Idaho.
Lucy’s Coffee Co., which features drinks made from locally roasted coffee beans, will be opening its second location in San Luis Obispo.
The company was founded by Lisa Hess and is named after her daughter, Lucy.
Hess said she was excited about the concept of SLO Ranch Farms from the start and was eager to join the development.
“I think what they’re doing with the space is amazing,” Hess said, referring to the variety of local vendors and organic farming space.
Hess said she looks forward to branching out from the original Lucy’s location, 1279 Laurel Lane in San Luis Obispo, to reach new customers, such as visitors traveling to the area.
With the new SLO Ranch Farms location, Hess hopes to add some new dishes to the menu as well as expand the store’s “grab and go” options.
The new location is expected to open at the start of 2024.
Paso Robles Brewing Co. is excited to announce its second location after opening its flagship brewery in Paso Robles in 2022, said brewery owner Ryan Bonner.
The brewery specializes in a unique process to store and deliver its beer to customers.
“Instead of putting all your beer into kegs, we put the batch into a single tank,” Bonner said.
“It looks really great but it’s also just really great for the quality of the product.” With the new location, Bonner said he looks forward to getting to know the locals in the area.
“We’re going to try to make a home for the people that live in the area. Somewhere they can go year in and year out,” Bonner said.
“The Paso Robles location is very involved with the local community, especially firefighters, police and veterans and that’s something we’re hoping to do with the second location as well,” Bonner said.
The SLO Ranch Farms location is expected to open in 2024.