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Rubicon Deli
Evan Corsiglia sold Rubicon Deli to Nate and Shane Dolan, according to Reno City Council minutes from Jan. 28. The brand originally opened in Lake Tahoe in 1993, established by Evanโs mother, Cheri Corsiglia. The Reno location has been operating since 2009.
Mochinut
Mochinut is bringing its second donut, boba, and Korean hotdog fast casual restaurant to Reno. The owners who purchased the franchise rights to the area originally bought two licenses and while the first Mochinut opened in January 2025 on Mae Anne Boulevard, the second location has been teased on social media as coming soon. City documents from last year suggest the new location will be at Shayden Summit Mall but weโre still waiting on an official announcement. Both shops are owned by Jeff Wang.
Calafuria
Tim Magee is looking for someone to take over ownership of his fresh Italian restaurant, Calafuria, which he owns with wife Cristina De Nigris and opened in Reno in 2016. Magee wants to focus on his new position as head chef of La Strada inside of the Eldorado Hotel Casino. He hopes to either sell the business, including the Calafuria name, or find someone to open a new spot in its space. Magee said he would not close Calafuria until heโs able to offload the business or the space. Thus, Calafuria will remain open under his leadership until a new owner is found. Photo by Shea Evans.
R Town Pizza and Papa What You Cooking featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives
Fans of Renoโs R Town Pizza were delighted to hear that the Detroit-style pie joint made it onย Diners, Drive-Ins and Divesย on Jan. 23. The Food Network episode was titledย Pizza, Pastrami, and Potato Skins. In addition, Renoโs Papa What You Cooking was featured onย Diners, Drive-Ins and Divesย on Jan. 30 with an episode calledย Southern, Sweets, and Spam. William Lyons, owner of Papa What You Cooking, made greens, cornbread, red beans and rice, and German chocolate cake for the episode.
Rickโs Deli Cafe
After 30 years in business, the owners of Rickโs Deli Cafe in Reno announced that their final day was Jan. 16. In a social media post, owners claim a rent increase forced them out of their Double R Boulevard storefront.
Full Belly Deli
Full Belly Deli is adding a fourth location to its lineup, this one in South Reno near Jazmine on Double R Boulevard. The Truckee location, the restaurantโs first, was opened in December 2007 by Eric Barton and Tom Marrin. The sandwich-loving duo have since opened additional locations, including its Mill Street shop in 2015 and its Midtown store in 2019. They plan to officially start serving the South Reno community in April.ย
Truckee Teas & Truckee Slime Kitchen
A pair of new businesses opened in Truckee with the intent of keeping both parents and children entertained in one convenient space. Truckee Teas and Truckee Slime Kitchen celebrated a grand opening in December in the Westgate shopping center.
Truckee Teas serves hot tea, Boba tea, finger sandwiches, and baked goods. And next door (in a conjoined business that can be separated by sliding doors), children can create their own slime.
The Truckee Chamber and Town of Truckee celebrated the new additions with a ribbon cutting ceremony in December. The partner businesses are owned by Leanne Johnson and Christina Schwartz, both long-time Truckee residents.
Yarrow
Yarrow just opened at Sugar Bowl Resort, located atop Donner Summit. The new chef-driven restaurant blends California-inspired cuisine with alpine soul.
For the first time in its 87-year history, leaders at Sugar Bowl embarked on a major revitalization campaign to upgrade the resortโs features, from skiable terrain to on-mountain dining. This includes an entirely revamped food and beverage experience in the Village Lodge, under the leadership of Sugar Bowl Culinary Advisor and acclaimed celebrity chef Traci Des Jardins, Beverage Director and hospitality veteran Clay Reynolds, and Executive Chef Robert Douglas. The project included a complete redesign of the buildingโs culinary infrastructure, more than doubling the size of the kitchen and creating spaces that accommodate both sit-down dining and more casual gatherings on the outdoor Terrace.
With a strong focus on seasonal, local ingredient sourcing from nearby vendors and farmers, Yarrow offers comforting, approachable dishes through a Californian lens โ weaving together influences from American, Asian, European, and Middle Eastern cuisines.
Complementing the menu is a robust beverage program spotlighting California wine producers and Yarrowโs original โAlpine Floraโ cocktail collection, inspired by wildflowers native to the Sierra Nevada and named in tribute to the restaurantโs namesake, the yarrow flower. Each cocktail draws a connection to its floral inspiration through flavor or color.
The 64-seat restaurant was designed in partnership with award-winning firm, BCV Architecture + Interiors, who led the remodel of the historic Village Lodge.
Yarrow is open seven days a week 7:30 a.m. โ 2 p.m. for breakfast and lunch and 5 โ 9 p.m. for dinner.
LEX Nightclub
LEX Nightclub at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno closed on Jan. 1 after a final New Yearโs Eve event titled โThe Last Dance.โ It had been open for 11 years. The nightclub is being reimagined into a new entertainment venue as the GSR undergoes an extensive expansion in coming years.ย
Karajillo & Co.
Before the year ended, Karajillo & Co. opened its bar doors on the Riverwalk in the old Blind Dog Tavern space left vacant on Jan. 1, 2025. Just shy of one year later, the owners of neighboring Toro Bravo (Sergio Romero and Rene Preciado who also own La Condesa and Mexcal, respectively) opened their coffee-to-cocktails concept, providing caffeinated beverages and fresh pastries by day and boozy beverages and mocktails by night.
Currently in its soft launch period, the bar opens daily at 7 a.m. A grand opening announcement is expected soon.
Tahoe Bagel Co.
The owners of Tahoe Bagel Co. say they plan to open their new location in Independence Square in Reno this month. The East Coast-style bagelry and deli, owned by Justin and Jeffrey Kaplan, has two other locations in South Lake Tahoe, which opened in 2020, and Stateline, which opened in 2022.
The Mint at Revival Reno
Revival Reno, in the former Harrahโs Reno resort in Downtown Reno, welcomed its first tenant on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, 2025. The Mint is the propertyโs casino, a boutique version of some of the larger casino floors in The Biggest Little City with just 18 gaming machines inside and no tables or sports-betting kiosks. The 24/7 operation also houses a retro bar with cocktails to match and quick service food items, including pizza, wings, and wraps.
Itโs the first in a series of new businesses expected to open in the property, which dates back to 1969. Harrahโs Reno closed for good on March 17, 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
DOPO at Reno Public Market
The owner of DOPO at Reno Public Market in Reno announced the closure of this location via social media on Jan. 5. The pizza-and-pasta joint has two other locations โ one in Renoโs Riverwalk District and the other in Truckee. The latter opened officially on Dec. 2, 2025.
In the post it was mentioned that owner closed the food-hall location to focus on full-dining experiences at the restaurant locations.
Lulou’s Restaurant
The first casualty of 2026, Lulouโs Restaurant announced its closure after more than 26 years in business. The Midtown restaurant, owned by Chef Troy Cannan and his wife Coleen, was known for fine dining and a creative menu.
The owners announced their plans to focus on their other two Reno restaurants, neighboring businesses Kauboi Izakaya and Willieโs Pasta Shop, which previously shared staff with Lulouโs. Photos by Shea Evans.
Wave Sushi Bar
Wave Sushi Bar is opening across the street from Greater Nevada Field in Reno in spring of 2026. The restaurant comes from a team of owners: Maria Ruiz-Tinajero, Brian Hernandez Gonzalez, Norma V. Martinez Quintana, and Oscar A. Martinez Carrillo. Oscar and Norma also own Mr. Crab Seafood Boils in Reno.
Since 2024, the two couples have been perfecting their menu and sharing roles with their family members. The location, at 300 E. Second St., will be Wave Sushi’s first. It will be inside the former Mellow Fellow space.
Next Pour
A new wine-and-cocktail bar is coming to Northwest Reno. From the owners of Bighorn Tavern, Next Pour will open next door to the original Bighorn location in early to mid-2026. Next Pourโs will specialize in bourbon but staff members also offer wine, cocktails, and mocktails.
The owners want to create a space that is accessible to the general public and celebrates the people in their lives, with each drink named after someone they know personally such as The Megan, The Nic, The Karen, The Natalya, and The Robert.
Construction is currently underway but an opening date isnโt available at this time.
Ferino Distillery
After a hiatus, the Ferino Distillery tasting room reopened on Dec. 13. While the tasting room on Fourth Street in Reno has been closed for much of 2025, the distillery never stopped operating and has, in fact, been expanding in part due to Ferinoโs takeover of production of Toraniโs Amer liqueur used in the popular, and Nevadaโs official state cocktail, Picon Punch. For the foreseeable future, visitors can visit and taste Ferinoโs products โ and other sippers โ 4 โ 8 p.m. Thurs. โ Sat.
Frey Ranch Distillery
Frey Ranch Distillery landed on Food & Wineโs Best New Bourbons of 2025 list, published on Dec. 5. There were only nine spirits recognized and Frey Ranchโs Harvester Series Second Harvest was ranked No. 7 of those nine. The writeup praised owners Colby and Ashley Frey for their grain-to-glass operation and consistently quality products. The Harvester Series bottle was made from several single barrels, using mostly 100% wheat whiskey.
According to the author, Dylan Ettinger, โThe finished whiskey starts with a gentle nose of honey and nutmeg. On the palate, rich butterscotch and dark chocolate fade into a berry-like finish. Itโs a very complex pour that takes you on a unique journey from start to finish. Itโs a great expression of Frey Ranchโs creativity as whiskey makers.โ
R Town Pizza & Smiling With Hope Recognized as Top Pizza Spots in the U.S.
Reno is no stranger to good pizza, and The Biggest Little City is getting national recognition for its standout pies. When Yelp unveiled its top 15 pizza spots in the U.S., two Reno locations made the cut. A slice above the rest, R Town Pizza, owned by Marvin Kinney, and Smiling With Hope, owned by Andrew Silvaroli, were both honored.
In other Yelp news, R Town Pizza also hit spot number 44 on Yelpโs national Top Places to Eat in 2025 list. The recently closed Noodle Box Kitchen was number 86.
Batch Cupcakery
The South Reno location of Batch Cupcakery has closed after owner Ann Archer chose not to renew the lease on the South Creek address. Her Midtown Reno location, however, is still up and running with plenty of baked goods available for sale and classes and other events planned for the future.
Great Basin Brewing Co.โs Red Nose Holiday Wassail
As of Nov. 28, Great Basin Brewing Co.โs Red Nose Holiday Wassail is back in stock. And not only is the favorite holiday ale a hit amongst locals, it also took home gold in the herb and spice category at the Great American Beer Festival for the first time. The win was an honor not just for Great Basinโs owner, Mark Estee, but also for Brewmaster Aaron Halecky.
Los Chilaquiles Mexican Breakfast
A second location of Los Chilaquiles Mexican Breakfast is opening at the old Playfield location on Arlington Avenue in Reno. The announcement comes four years after their first location on North McCarran opened in December 2021. The family has yet to make an official announcement on social media, but a sign has gone up on the outside of the building announcing the second address.
Zagol
The owner of Zagol, Northern Nevada’s sole Ethiopian restaurant, announced plans to close the establishment on Jan. 28. After years of being unsuccessful in finding a successor for the business, Shita Yenenh, who has been operating Zagol alone for 15 years, has decided to close her doors for good. Stop by for one last meal 4 โ 8 p.m. Tues. โ Sat. in the Mira Loma shopping center in Reno.
Photos by Shea Evans from our story on Zagol in our Fall 2013 edition.
Asi Es Mi Terra
Tierra y Sazon is under new ownership. The Salvadoran restaurant at 1020 S. Wells Ave. in Reno, which operates under the name Asi Es Mi Terra, is part of the Reno Taco Trail and also serves pupusas, stewed chicken, tamales, and more. The new owners, according to Reno City Council meeting notes from Dec. 10, are Josue, Lillian, and Eva Guiterrez.
Segara Coffee
Reno resident Esther Singer is celebrating the grand opening of her new coffee company, Segara Coffee, on Dec. 14 at 1 p.m. at Sierra Nevada Bakery and Creamery in Reno. She focuses on sourcing single-origin beans from Southeast Asia.
Singer has a PhD in environmental science and applies her knowledge to work closely with farms in Indonesia and other locales, bringing her coffee products to the U.S. to sell at local events, online, and inside of Sierra Nevada Bakery and Creamery, where you can also get a fresh brewed cup. Segara is the Indonesian word for ocean.
