Rooted Coffee Co. is moving forward with plans to open in downtown Walnut Creek at 1321 Locust Street. The company last week announced in a Craigslist advertisement seeking to hire staff that it will debut in October.
Owners John and Jennifer Gilmore began selling coffee at local farmers markets for six years before establishing their first storefront in Pleasant Hill in 2019.
Rooted Walnut Creek will set up shop in the 2,100 square-foot space previously home to Coffee Shop for the last six years. Rooted plans to revitalize the space, putting their value for community at the forefront. This café will feature a contemporary renovation by local designer Fabiola Catalan, whose concept features modern black fixtures against a wooden backdrop, bar, and furniture. The custom tables will be built with locally sourced wood by Traverso Tree Service.
“Our top priority is making sure you leave feeling seen and valued. We also pride ourselves in offering an exceptional product without sacrificing our values, which is why our cafe is fully plant based,” the Gilmores note on their website. Their most popular café offerings include their Avocado Dream, with three different variations ranging from a house-made pesto drizzle to a hempseed ranch drizzle. Rooted is also known for their gluten-free, plant-based waffles and their vegan yogurt parfaits.
In addition to a variety of standard café beverages, Rooted’s fair-trade organic coffee can be consumed as one of their Signature Drinks, such as the Vanilla Iced Coffee or the Cardamom Maple Latte, made with organic spices as opposed to flavored syrup. All the beans are locally roasted in Vallejo, CA. Their medium roasts include Boomerang, featuring blueberry undertones, and Masterpiece, which with caramel earth notes has the highest caffeine content.
Their Pleasant Hill location typically sees 250 customers a day and is open from 7-1 everyday except Tuesday, so the same hours and foot traffic can be expected at Walnut Creek. With the lease signed in March 2021, Rooted Walnut Creek was originally slated for an August opening date, but due to circumstances is now opening in October and is currently hiring.
