Local Businesses
by John M. Zukoski on November 18, 2011 | 
1 Comment | Topics: Local Businesses · Opinions
Dublin’s Astex Pharmaceuticals recently saw its stock price drop by over 40% during the dog day months of August and September. Formerly SuperGen, Inc., the Dublin Corporate Center biotechnology firm is in on the mend as its stock price popped by over 10% as of early November. The improved company outlook could be attributed to its recently completed acquisition of Astex Therapeutics Limited, a privately held UK-based biotechnology company with particular expertise in fragment-based drug discovery.
“We are extremely pleased to embark on a new era in our company’s history,” said Dr. James S.J. Manuso, Chairman and CEO of Astex Pharmaceuticals. “We now have the resources and capabilities in place to establish Astex Pharmaceuticals as a financially strong global leader with the aim of delivering novel cancer therapeutics targeting critical medical needs.”
Headquartered in its 30,000-square-foot pad at the Dublin Corporate Center, Astex Pharmaceuticals is dedicated to becoming a leader in the discovery, development, and commercialization of a new generation of small molecule drugs that target cancerous cells. Astex Pharmaceutical’s lease at the Dublin Corporate Center extends all the way until the end of 2015.
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by John M. Zukoski on November 4, 2011 | No Comments | Topics: Local Businesses · Restaurants
Vito’s Express recently “soft opened” at Grafton Station in East Dublin. In addition to attracting pizza aficionados, Vito’s Express is becoming a great draw for families in and around Dublin, CA looking for a distinctive yet convenient night out. “Our girls loved playing on the Vespas inside while we waited for our pizza,” noted Dublin resident Chris Kirby. “We got a Margherita and I was happy because there wasn’t too much sauce and the the crust was not overly thin.”
Vito’s Express has taken a low-key but targeted approach to marketing during its soft open phase with co-owner Scott Bolin posting special deals and announcements on Vito’s fan page on Facebook. On Wednesday, for example, Vito’s offered an $8 special that includes a jumbo slice, a generous plate of salad, and a refreshing cup of soda. The eye-catching fleet of vintage Vespas has also been an amazingly effective advertising tool for the scrappy pizza upstart.
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by Around Dublin Team on November 1, 2011 | No Comments | Topics: Announcements · Local Businesses
The City of Dublin, CA has partnered with the Dublin Chamber of Commerce to launch a Shop Local Holiday Campaign via Facebook. The goal of the campaign is to encourage and increase shopping around Dublin through the holidays. The campaign is a Dublin Chamber of Commerce led initiative that the City is supporting. The Chamber has launched a Facebook page designated for the Shop Local Holiday Campaign where businesses will be able to add their business profile, store promotions, product features, and store events.
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by John M. Zukoski on October 28, 2011 | 8 Comments | Topics: Local Businesses · Retail
High-profile public figures such as Dublin Mayor Tim Sbranti, along with other special guests from the Tri-Valley and beyond, congregated Thursday night at the new Recreational Equipment Incorporated (REI) in Dublin for an exclusive store preview. REI’s arrival in the City’s historic shopping district has been in the works for over a decade. “We have been trying to get REI here for twelve years,” said Mayor Sbranti. The opening of the Dublin REI store represents the realization of a vision held by 42,500 REI members who live within a 15-mile radius of the store. REI will kick off its grand opening weekend festivities on Friday, October 28th, at 9:00AM with a free light breakfast for all visitors.
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by John M. Zukoski on October 27, 2011 | No Comments | Topics: Announcements · Local Businesses · Retail
REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.) will celebrate the grand opening of its newest California location in Dublin‘s historic shopping district with co-op members and the local community on Friday, October 28th to Sunday, October 30th. A number of events and giveaways are scheduled throughout the weekend in honor of the store’s opening. REI kicks things off for early birds with a free light breakfast available at 9:00AM on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, starting one hour before the store opens.
The first 200 people (age 12 and older) who visit the store throughout the weekend will receive a limited-edition CamelBak water bottle with an REI gift card inside ranging from $5 to $100. Doors open at 10:00AM Friday through Sunday. Additionally, REI members and customers can enter to win a gear sweepstakes package, available only at the Dublin store throughout the grand opening weekend. Customers that ride their bikes to the opening will receive a special promotion and free bike maintenance check by REI techs. From 9:00AM to 1:00PM on Saturday, riders can also take advantage of the free bike valet parking provided by East Bay Bicycle Coalition.
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by John M. Zukoski on October 24, 2011 | 11 Comments | Topics: Local Businesses · Retail
The recent opening of the new Target store at Fallon Gateway in East Dublin has been a dream come true for many residents in and around Dublin, CA. The beautiful architecture, convenient location, plentiful parking, and promise of everyday products sold at a discount have helped the new East Dublin Target store become part of the weekly routine for many shoppers in the Tri-Valley. As excitement over this long-awaited grand opening event fades, a growing number of loyal Target customers have noticed something is not quite right with the new Target.
Around Dublin Blog reader Nicole Roy Borris, who is credited with suggesting the name of Dublin’s Positano Hills Park, recently visited both Target stores in Dublin and found that prices for randomly selected everyday items are priced more than 20% higher at the East Dublin store than at the West Dublin store. “The biggest percentage difference for me was the diapers – $19.79 at West Dublin and $24.49 at East Dublin,” shared Borris. “Many moms look at pricing for diapers, and that’s a big jump for the exact same size of box!”
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by John M. Zukoski on October 19, 2011 | 8 Comments | Topics: Local Businesses · Opinions
Many residents in and around Dublin, CA were flabbergasted with the recent unveiling of Amazon’s Kindle Fire. Bargain-priced at $199 and fully loaded with features, the Kindle Fire is poised to take on the legendary iPad as Amazon challenges Apple in the tablet computing market. Unfortunately for Dublin’s tech wonder Pandigital, the November 15th release of Amazon’s iPad killer could not have come at a worse time, as the famed digital photo frame maker looks to crank up the marketing of its own tablet computer called the SuperNova.
Amazon’s Kindle Fire has a 7-inch display and runs a heavily modified version of Google’s Android operating system. Equipped with a dual-core processor and 8GB of storage, this tablet computer supports web browsing, e-mail, PDF and Adobe Flash web content display, and digital music playback with ease. Users can read e-books with Amazon’s popular Kindle software, download Android apps and games through Amazon’s Appstore, purchase music via Amazon’s MP3 store, and stream video using Amazon’s video on-demand service. Amazon’s suite of digital stores and services are all pre-loaded right out of the box.
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by John M. Zukoski on October 12, 2011 | No Comments | Topics: Local Businesses · Restaurants · Retail
Tri-Valley’s very own daily deal site LocalGrüv went live only a month ago, and it has already received a tremendous response from local businesses and customers in Dublin, San Ramon, Pleasanton, Livermore, and Danville. LocalGrüv launched its website with fantastic offers such as 70% off at Rockin’ Jump in Dublin, 50% off at TGI Friday’s and over 60% at The Wine Steward in Pleasanton, and 50% off at La Pupusa House in Livermore. LocalGrüv’s latest deal is from Dublin’s Extreme Pizza in which a $30 voucher can be purchased for just $15 and be applied toward Extreme Pizza’s legendary pizzas, mouth-watering sandwiches, fresh salads, pitch-perfect wine, beer, and more.
LocalGrüv is the brainchild of entrepreneurs Matt Toomey, his wife Rebecca Navarro, Anna Navarro, and Wayne Kool. All four founders were avid fans of social couponing sites like Groupon and LivingSocial, but they quickly noticed these national sites rarely offer deals that feature restaurants and shops from Tri-Valley.
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by Around Dublin Team on September 30, 2011 | 2 Comments | Topics: Local Businesses · Restaurants
“Irasshaimase!” is the warm greeting every cheerful employee at the new Sushi Hanabi in Pleasanton, CA shouts out the moment a customer steps through its door. For guests of a certain age, the heartfelt greeting should remind them of the way Cheers welcomes Norm every time he steps into his favorite bar. Located at the gateway of Downtown Pleasanton, Sushi Hanabi has quickly become a local favorite in just four months after its opening.
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