Coffee bar, restaurant open in Thousand Oaks as other eateries close

One eatery has opened, another has closed and a third is being replaced by an Italian restaurant in east Ventura County. Here’s a look at each.

Five07

Five07, a Thousand Oaks coffee bar, has opened a second, smaller location in the city at 2955 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd.

Size isn't the only difference from the original outlet at the Oakbrook Shopping Center, which opened in 2018.

"Our original space is like a British pub or French salon, where you spend a few hours and get to be with friends," said Sean Rendineo, who owns Five07 with wife Amber Rendineo. "For this space, we were inspired more by Italian espresso bars. It's more of a space to come in for 10 or 15 minutes, enjoy your coffee and conversation, and be on your way."

The new 850-square foot location, which opened Dec. 29, stands out in another way. It will play into Five07's name by introducing new coffees from California roasters on dates ending in the number 5.

"Our first rotation is for Mother Tongue from Oakland on Jan. 15," Sean Rendineo said. "It's Mother Tongue's Kenyan coffee. It tastes like raspberry tea."

The food menu at the new location isn't as extensive as the original site, but features baked goods and sandwiches, Rendineo said.

The new Five07 is open 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, see www.thefive07.com.

Decker Kitchen

Decker Kitchen closed its doors in Thousand Oaks, but not without a New Year’s Eve celebration and the hope of reopening elsewhere.

A DJ played at the restaurant, 3731 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., on its final night, Dec. 31.

"It was a nice sendoff for the restaurant, saying goodbye to that location," owner Graham Harris said. "We had a lot of good friends coming in — people who had supported us over the years."

Harris said the restaurant — known for its farm-to-table American cuisine, burgers, ribs, steaks, salmon, salads, wines and house-made bread — could reopen elsewhere in the Conejo Valley.

"We would love to do it as soon as possible," Harris said. "We're looking at another location."

Decker Kitchen opened in 2018 in Westlake Village. Its original location, at 4661 Lakeview Canyon Road in the County Line Shopping Center, is now home to Lava Kitchen Mediterranean Restaurant, which is slated to open soon.

The eatery moved in 2022 to the larger Thousand Oaks Boulevard location, but had to close after nearly two years of frequent shutdowns because of plumbing problems and related flooding, Harris said.

"Between November and December, we had to shut down for three weeks so they could take apart the floor and remove one section of pipes," said Harris, who announced the permanent closure on Dec. 27.

Customers remain loyal.

“Fingers crossed for a reopening,” Susie Oleinik posted on Facebook. “Decker Kitchen is a special place!”

Cedro Italian Restaurant to replace Stella's

Stella’s Gourmet Restaurant has closed its doors after more than 40 years in Newbury Park, but a restaurant with Mediterranean roots is opening in its place.

Cedro Italian Restaurant plans to start serving dinner on Jan. 18 at the 2385 Michael Drive location, co-owner Mattia Raimondi said.

Raimondi and the other owners, Lorenzo Carrera and chef Matteo Di Nicola, all grew up in Italy.

Di Nicola worked as a chef in Rome and Paris and, closer to Ventura County, at Osteria Mamma in Hollywood and Basta Restaurant in Agoura Hills. Raimondi was a waiter at Casa Nostra Ristorante in Westlake Village.

Cedro Italian Restaurant will serve dishes such as spaghetti with clams and a pasta with a traditional ragu sauce based on a recipe from Di Nicola's great-grandmother, Raimondi said.

"The tiramisu is probably the best in the region," he said about the restaurant's coffee-flavored Italian dessert.

The building was remodeled for the restaurant. "We wanted it to look very Mediterranean and rustic, as if you were in Italy," Raimondi said.

Initial hours are 5-9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 5-9:30 or 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, he said.

"A month after we open, we'll have brunch on Saturdays and Sundays," he said.

The restaurant's website is under construction.

The eatery's previous occupant, Stella's Gourmet Restaurant, opened in 1981. Ownership changed several times since the original owner, Stella Scholle, died in 2013.

Dave Mason covers East County for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at dave.mason@vcstar.com or 805-437-0232.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Coffee bar, restaurant open in Thousand Oaks as others close