Is Europane relocating?

[cdub]

Does anyone know if you Europane is relocating to a location across the street from Paseo? I was at the Paseo last night and it looked like there was an empty storefront with a big Europane sign lit up.

[Will Owen]

Okay, now it gets REALLY confusing: at the top of p. 3 of today's Pasadena Star-News, one of the articles says, "For a while it looked as if the long-rumored move of Europane... was imminent after 15 years... A chic new Europane... sign is pictured on the ground floor of the pricy Montana Residences on 'Pasadena Real Estate by Brigham Yen.' Yen refers to the business across from Paseo Colorado as Chang's 'second shop.' Not so fast, (Sumi) Chang says. Nothing is definite, she hasn't signed anything yet, and has concerns about the parking and kitchen prep space."

Okay, so is the Star-News a few months behind with this, or are we all imagining things, or what?

[condiment]

Sumi herself is being maddeningly vague about the whole thing, both when and whether. The kitchen is, in fact, smaller, and parking is a huge issue. Although it must be said - it looks like a $500,000 buildout at least.

[WildSwede]

Either way, I am glad that she knows the obstacles and is at least thinking about them. Guess for the time being, we will all continue heading a little further east for our Europane fix. I, for one, am glad of it.

[exilekiss]

Hi condiment,

Thanks for the info. Wow, if the kitchen is smaller than the original location and parking is going to be far worse... it just seems like a step in the wrong direction.

[dlew]

Open it now! I work next door :)

[truetraveler]

Please open up soon, I live across in the Paseo...can't wait!

[KMJD]

ParParking lot behind on Union & Raymond.

[KMJD]

My mistake, it is not a ParParking behind at Union and Euclid. It is the parking for the City Hall, but I notice people going in on the weekends. There is a small sign at the kiosk that says $2 an hour. There is a walkway that goes from the parking lot between the Montana and CitiBank buildings.
But the big news was that while I walked past the new Europane locale, deliveries were being made, and there were boxes of tea on the wall. Still pretty empty, but definitely something is happening.

[WildSwede]

I just got back, and while Sumi was not there to ask, I asked the girls behind the counter and both confirmed that the other Colorado location will be the second Europane and that they are not planning on closing the current one. Let's see what happens! Fingers crossed!!

[mocro]

I was told the same thing at the counter yesterday. This to be the 2nd location and they'll open 'in April."

[Will Owen]

The Pasadena Star-News, for what that's worth, has confirmed this.

I think enough of the clientele consists of people who live and/or work in the area that having two locations less than two miles apart makes sense. Her client base resembles Starbuck's more than it does Trader Joe's.

[dlew308]

I've walked by it many times as I work next door. The clientele is a mix of suits and regular people. It does remind me of the *$ crowd. I tried their whole wheat pain au choolate, for the price, I wasn't overly impressed. I haven't tried their mega sized macarons yet. My coworker wasn't too pleased to see one of the workers not using gloves when cutting up some samples.

[mc michael]

Get the egg salad sandwich, then tell us what you think.

[orythedog]

Bread pudding is sublime

[maxzook]

Try the ginger scones and/or plain croissants.

[Will Owen]

"My coworker wasn't too pleased to see one of the workers not using gloves when cutting up some samples." As long as the guy doesn't lick the knife between strokes I could hardly care less. I have not had or seen any giant macarons, but having had a few of the small ones, and speaking as a guy who does not consider meringue in any form to be a thing worth making a fuss over, these are pretty damn good. Especially the weird flavors, like lavender. Amazing.

[dlew308]

How big were the small ones? Everytime I walk by, I just see the large ones. I've tried the large ones from their other location and wasn't impressed.

[bulavinaka]

>>My coworker wasn't too pleased to see one of the workers not using gloves when cutting up some samples.<<

That kind of thing usually won't bother me as IMHO, we've become a society of germophobes. But to each his own. As long as they haven't been squeezing out a mop with their hands then leaving a fingerprint into the lemon filling of my lemon bar, then I'm okay in most cases.

>>I tried their whole wheat pain au choolate, for the price, I wasn't overly impressed.<<

Whole wheat in a croissant? I didn't even know. Personally, if I'm going full-bore butter, give me real pastry dough to put it in! :) You might benefit from looking over this sister thread as well by J. Gold... I mean exilekiss. :) There's a lot more going on in the thread and in Euro Pane than their excellent eccentric egg salad. And their sandwich format is great. There's enough variety in the fillings and the various bread choices to customize a sandwich for just about anyone. And the ingredients and execution are first rate.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6985...

[maxzook]

The following buses stop at or within walking distance of the corner of Colorado and Euclid:

Metro 180 (Colorado/Garfield)
Metro 181 (Colorado/Garfield)
Metro 256 (Colorado/Garfield)
Metro 686 (Colorado/Euclid)
Metro Rapid 780 (Colorado/Los Robles)
Foothill Transit 187 (Colorado/Garfield)
Pasadena ARTS 10 (Colorado/Euclid)
Metro Gold Line Memorial Park Station (Raymond/Holly - about 5 blocks)

For an online trip planner, go to:

http://socaltransport.org/

[adean]

Yes, in two months (April 2010). I just confirmed with counter staff. I thought the new place was to be in addition to the current one, but no, the new replaces the old. A local realtor's website has exterior and interior shots of the new space (Pasadena Real Estate with Brigham Yen, http://brighamyen.wordpress.com/2010/... It's across the street from Paseo Colorado, in the ground floor of the very pricey Montana condos.

It's more spacious indoors and there's more (and more pleasant) seating outdoors than at the current location, judging by the photos. Parking will, however, be a major PITA. Some limited street parking on a Sunday morning might be available, but at all other times of the week it's nonexistent and it'll have to be paid parking in the Paseo lot or maybe the Western Assets lot. Maybe it's free for 60 or 90 minutes or less? That would help...

[Will Owen]

My take on this is that everything is going to be more of a PITA *except* once you get inside. I've rarely had a parking problem at the current location, but when you're standing there getting your order filled and get asked for the third time if you're being waited on, but you have to stand there in everyone's way because there's nowhere else, it gets a little tiresome. As does the experience of being handed, very carefully over the counter, a box of fragile goodies, and someone checking out the display case walks blindly right into it. If this becomes a thing of the past I will gladly park two blocks or so away and walk over, as I often do for Paseo visits anyway.

[WildSwede]

I hope what you say is true, Will about the room inside, because there will be many, many more people in there now with their more noticeable location (all the paseo people will now see it).
I think I will definitely go less. I have tried to find parking on that block many, many times and have only found it once (and I have lived in the Pasadena area for 16 years).

[Will Owen]

We just park in the general area of City Hall and hoof it. Of course this is rarely on a weekday at lunch time...

[WildSwede]

I could always walk from the office, but knowing me, it will not be something that happens very often.

[carter]

Cannot imagine that the Montana does not have dedicated parking strictly for its retail tenants, and not in conflict with those spaces reserved for the residents of the building. That is generally the way a mixed use project makes retail viable at all. And at least in this new location, if you have parked at the Paseo across the street, it is conceivable that you might shop there and eat at Europane.

[maz44]

In fact, you are right. Although they aren't marked, there is parking in the Montana. Just enter on Euclid and tell them you are there for Europane, and it's no problem. I think they have at least ten spaces.

[Peripatetic]

Reportedly this is intended to be a second location:

http://brighamyen.wordpress.com/2010/...

Of course it's possible they may decide to close the original location if this one does well.

[WildSwede]

That would be too bad since parking there is awful.

[maxzook]

If by Paseo they mean Paseo Colorado, could the parking there really be any worse than where they are now?

If they are moving to a bigger facility with capacity to bake more goodies (so they don't run out of ginger scones by 9:30 am on Saturday), and if they can increase the staff to make the lines shorter, then I say bravo.

[WildSwede]

Actually, where they are now there is a parking lot in the back to which you pay $1 with validation, but I have been pretty lucky with getting street parking. If they move, you will be fighting for the 5 spots out front with the post office and sandwich place customers. Then you have to park in the paseo parking and pay even more - and walk further!

[Jack Flash]

It always seemed to me that the lot (that funky little two-level thing you enter off Mentor) was free...no attendant, no ticket, nothing.

[WildSwede]

It was until about a year and a half ago. I heard a lot of people whose destinations were other than those in the center were parking there and thus taking the spaces from the legit parkers and wanted to find a way to alleviate that problem. At that time, they would take $1 or $2 when you got there, but give it back to you when you left if you had gotten validation from one of the stores. Then, they started just charging $1 before and not returning it when you give them your ticket back with validation (not sure what the process is when you don't have validation). I think he leaves at 3:00 since we were just there at lunch today and he was still there at 2:35. Not sure if he is there in the evenings.

[Jack Flash]

Ah. I have never encountered a person. I always park in the upper level (last time was in December or January). I'm usually there before 10:00 a.m., though, and maybe they don't have an attendant at that hour.

[WildSwede]

Yeah, I know for sure it is during lunch time. I wonder if they get you if you park below. I always have gone up and never thought of parking in the bottom section.

[mrshankly]

Maybe they can get a dedicated barista to make their espresso drinks while the change is happening.

Wait, ginger scones, maxzook?!?! I'll be there when they open tomorrow morning:)

[maxzook]

I'll be the guy in the sleeping bag at the head of the line when they unlock the doors.

[adean]

And yeah, their coffee drinks are very inconsistent, and not up to the standard of the baked and savory goods, so here's hoping a barista is part of the plan.

[cdub]

I agree. Plus, it would make for a much longer walk for me to get the egg salad or a pastry.

[KMJD]

There is a ParPark structure directly behind, on Union & Raymond. It should be reasonable.