On the Storefront – Sep. 2026

    What’s the latest on the fledgling CreekHaus development at the site of the former Bank of America building next to the now defunct Rite Aid?
    That’s what inquiring Orindans want to know. As previously reported by The Orinda News, the one-time Bank of America building had been stripped to the studs and will be transformed. Instead of safe deposit boxes and counters, look for a multi-level mixed-use headquarters for a local developer anchored by essentially three ambitious restaurant, café and bar concepts overlooking San Pablo Creek.
    The project’s owner and developer, the Orinda-based Paymun group of companies, whose headquarters will occupy upper levels of the building, originally targeted the opening for mid-summer, which of course has come and gone.
    A revised opening date has not yet been announced. However, real estate and restaurant sources say there is growing speculation that the project may not open until closer to the holidays. The development is now expected to roll out in multiple phases, with the three eating and drinking establishments opening at different times.
    “Our team is currently focused on getting the building across the finish line,” said Alex Arnoff, spokesperson for Paymun. “We’re working closely with the city [of Orinda] and our project partners through the final construction and permitting milestones, and we’ll share an opening date as soon as we’re able to confirm it.”
    CreekHaus will open in phases, beginning with Equator Coffees, the CreekHaus Beer Garden, Paymun’s offices, and a newly revealed tenant, Launchpad Learning, followed by the bistro and cocktail lounge.
    Paymun said Equator Coffee is a likely candidate to open in the first phase. This isn’t the Marin County-based sustainable coffee purveyor’s first rodeo.
    With it’s rabid, cultish following, Equator has previous experience at opening new stores in suburban Northern California locations.
    Equator’s Vice President of Marketing, Shelby Colley, deferred questions to Paymun, which has not announced who will operate the taproom beer garden; however, the company has confirmed that PizzaHacker remains the project’s pizza purveyor.
    Who will operate the bar and brew side of the house remains a mystery too, as do details involving the owners and operators of the bistro concept and the cutting-edge craft cocktail lounge.
    Joanna Kennedy, a Paymun spokesperson, said a new tenant for the project that fits Paymun’s community-centric ethos, is Launchpad Learning – founded by two Orinda moms – and will offer an after-school math program and occupy an upstairs space.
    CreekHaus is an ambitious passion project that is expected to provide attractive indoor spaces and welcoming outdoor spaces overlooking the creek and the surrounding trees.
    Paymun founder and CEO, Bahadour “Ben” Zarrin, is a successful developer of high-end homes in Wilder and has demonstrated his ability to design and build attractive dwellings. This commercial retail endeavor is a first for him – new territory for both him and his firm.
    Identifying and leasing spaces to high-quality restaurant and bar operators is far afield from building homes, but for Zarrin, an Orinda resident, he aims to create a family-friendly community hub for residents of all ages to enjoy – something he envisions will hum from morning to night.
    “Every first comes with new paths to navigate,” said Zarrin. “And we’ve had both the opportunity and the responsibility to build something entirely new.”
   
More local flavor
    Zarrin isn’t the only Orindan investing in the local food scene. Another local, Daniele Carsano, is close to opening Sorso Bar & Bites, a wine bar and small plates restaurant at 2 Theater Square.
    The longtime resident said he is close to raising the curtain at his new establishment, located in the store front formerly occupied by Starbucks. Carsano said Sorso should open by late summer or early fall.
    “I‘m trying to sort of put Orinda on the map and create a little buzz,” he said.
    Raised in Italy, and having been involved in Bay Area Italian restaurants, Carsano noted that his menu will feature Italian influences but will go well beyond his cultural roots to include tastes of other cuisines – with an emphasis on seafood, especially oysters and a seafood tower.
    Sorso’s will have a full bar with about 10 seats and table and lounge seating for another 25 or so diners. He hopes to provide outdoor seating as well. The cellar will feature a wide range of wines from Europe to South America to California.

Other restaurant and retail tidbits
    Morucci’s Deli, based in Walnut Creek’s Saranap neighborhood, is expected to open a new outlet in Orinda in the not-too-distant future. For more than three decades, Morucci’s earned a fierce following, drawing long lunchtime lines for its Italian subs and signature sandos. Exact location and details – to be determined.
    Retail and restaurant sources say the deli is not expected to take space in Theater Square and is likely to occupy a storefront on Moraga Way, such as 70 Moraga Way, which was vacated by Atithi, a Bangladeshi eatery.
    Morucci owner Terrence Heaps, who purchased the business from Robert Fambrini last year, has already introduced operational improvements at the flagship Walnut Creek location. He is also opening a second location at 236 Golf Club Road in Pleasant Hill, near Diablo Valley College, before bringing Morucci’s third location to Orinda.
    The Pleasant Hill eatery, slated to open next year, will also feature a separate coffee retailer to complement the deli business, according to published reports.
    Retail and real estate sources say that CVS kicked the tires of the vacant Rite Aid building next door to the CreekHaus project. The conjecture is that the massive drug retailer contemplated moving its Orinda location across from the theater to the larger former Rite Aid property on the other side of Highway 24. However, CVS has since thought better of it and has opted to stay put at its current location.