The Canyon Crest Town Center in Riverside seems to have added a hot new business. Hearsay, half-truth, busy pumping out Chizma… Whatever you say about its business practices, this factory knows how to use social media.
Ever since beloved independent bookstore Seller Door Books Announced on January 19 Rumors circulated that they had lost their monthly leases, and that five or six other companies had also abandoned their leases.
Many accepted this figure as fact, but no one was able to name more than two other businesses, one of which turned out to have left by chance. On Thursday the 26th, an online news site ran an article titled “We spoke with other business owners whose leases have ended,” subsequently naming six people.
Except this list was too flawed. The owner of The Sacred Journey said it has a lease and has not been contacted by the site. In an email, the writer confirmed that it was just “another business he reported what the owner told him.”
Where is Perry White when you need him?
I already wrote about the Cellar Door situation, so Friday morning, January 27th, I returned to the Towne Center and spoke to these six companies face-to-face. Here’s an overview:
Who Leaves: Cellar Door Books, Kiddos 101
Guests: The Sacred Journey, Canyon Crest Ice Cream, Water
Who’s stuck: Romano’s Italian Restaurant, Marisa’s Italian Deli
In other words, so far only two people have died in total.
“We have never been monthly tenants here. Oil manager Trisha Smathers said.
“Thank you for coming instead of printing something without checking with us,” Smathers added. came over and asked if we were closing.”
How do such rumors start? “Your guess is the same as mine,” Smathers said.
Canyon Crest Ice Cream and Water is in the middle of a five-year lease and has no plans to move out.
“He’s the one spreading the rumours,” said Dar Ying, whose wife owns the shop. “A lot of people ask me.”
The Sacred Journey isn’t going anywhere either. At least in the physical sense.
“There are no lease cancellations. said Carrie Peeler, who owns a store that stocks
Pealer said his wife responded to a social media post Thursday that her store was selling. Orlijan also posted an apology email from her site, the news that had posted her shop.
Despite rumors of The Sacred Journey’s premature end, Pealer admirably remained cool and composed.
However, Kiddos 101, an indoor play space for young children, must close on March 31, as does the adjacent Cellar Door Books. Both have monthly leases and do not pay maintenance fees for common areas.
Julius Hahn, who started the business with his wife, Larissa, in 2016, said that when toddlers were playing with toys and Kidos’ ingenious soft features, their parents would join them.
He calls it a “cold, callous approach,” a far cry from the warmth of Mark Thompson, who founded the neighborhood center in 1979 and ran it until his death in 2021.
“He built this from scratch. He believed in small business,” Hahn said of the man he always called Uncle Mark. “You are dismantling a man’s legacy.”
About 15 children were playing quietly amidst classical music, ambient sounds and sunlight streaming through the windows. Hahn said he couldn’t afford to move elsewhere and business would end with the party.
“We will be closing on March 23rd, our anniversary,” Hahn told customers.
Parent Mallory Rutledge said her daughter Usher, 2.5 years old, was a “real COVID baby” who hated people and had no social skills when she started coming to Kidos. Now, “her social skills and her athleticism have just blossomed. It’s honestly changed her life,” Rutledge said.
Dressed as a ballerina and carrying a Toy Story backpack about the size of her, Usher cried when she saw Julius Hahn (or almost anyone else). Now she gave him a high five and a hug.
The leasing status of Romano’s and sister restaurant Marisa’s Italian Deli is fluid. “We’re still negotiating,” said David Ludden, an employee.”We’re told they’ll be back with us next week.”
Romano’s will celebrate its 24th anniversary at Canyon Crest in April. Romano’s closed the Raincross Pub and Kitchen, a downtown outpost that hosted live music, on January 15, and began building a stage inside Romano’s the next day.
“We want the best,” said Ludden of the negotiations.
Center management did not respond to a request on Jan. 19 to identify other affected companies and did not immediately respond to a second request on Friday.
Social media interactions regarding Canyon Crest changes have been politically charged.
Cellar Door and its customers questioned whether the company’s ousting was a payoff for its inclusive stance, masking policy, and quarterly drag queen story time.
Many conservatives disagreed, saying that if the other six companies were successful, it would prove that Cellar Door wasn’t being targeted.
One woman left dozens of comments on Facebook calling for an apology from Representative Mark Takano of Cellar Door and D-Riverside. Those who came to supportCanyon Crest’s management said these complaints were “completely unfounded and could not be further from the truth.”
That’s a strong denial. Or maybe you’re protesting too much. Either way, online gossip is confusing the public, whether by chance or on purpose.
“It’s very strange,” bookstore owner Linda Sherman-Nurik told me on Friday, and thinks it’s intentional. It seems so dishonest.”
David Allen’s contributions are logged on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Email dallen@scng.com, call 909-483-9339, like davidallencolumnist on Facebook and follow @davidallen909 on Twitter.
