Chain restaurant may replace former Marie Callender's in Concord

By Lisa P. White Contra Costa Times

CONCORD -- A national chain restaurant may replace the long-vacant former Marie Callender's on Diamond Boulevard, not far from the Willows Shopping Center.

David Deutscher Company, a Pleasant Hill brokerage and development firm, plans to demolish the existing 10,162-square-foot former restaurant at 2090 Diamond Blvd. and build a 6,470-square-foot building for an eatery plus an adjacent 6,340-square-foot building with up to three tenant spaces.

This is the first proposal Concord has received for the 1.45-acre property since Marie Callender's abruptly closed in June 2011, according to Joan Ryan, city planner.

The company has submitted architectural plans to the city for the $2.6 million construction project, however, they are waiting until they sign a lease with the prospective restaurant tenant before putting in a formal application, Deutscher said.

He declined to name the restaurant because negotiations are ongoing, but he hopes to finalize the restaurant lease in another two-to-three weeks. The firm also is in discussions with a bank to lease one of the other tenant spaces, Deutscher said.

Since purchasing the 35-year-old building in August 2013, more than a dozen restaurants the company has approached have said they would only consider moving into a new building on the site at the busy intersection of Diamond Boulevard and Galaxy Way, Deutscher said.

"We tried very hard to lease the building as it was and because it was a very specific building built for Marie Callender's no restaurateur had been willing to come in -- nobody wanted a pie factory," he said, noting that the kitchen is three times the size a typical restaurant requires.

In October, the city's Design Review Board gave the developer feedback on the project's conceptual plans which include an outdoor dining patio, landscaping and lighting. Board members asked the developer to produce a more consistent design among the lease spaces and perhaps add architectural elements to the building at the corner, according to Ryan.

Deutscher said they are listening to the city's concerns.

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Chain restaurant may replace former Marie Callender's in Concord