Jamba Juice Suddenly Closes, Oddyssea Opens to Play

Once a month, Sprouts and Shutters will bring you the latest on which businesses are shuttering —and which are sprouting — around Half Moon Bay and the Montara to Pescadero Coastside.

OPENED: Oddyssea, 617 Main St., Half Moon Bay, (650) 440-4555

“Explore, create, discover.” That’s what Montara resident Mike Harding hopes people will experience when visiting his new store, which recently opened in the building on Main Street next to Cottage Industries.

The sparkling new retail space is best experienced rather than described, according to Harding, and features a combination of art, technology, science and nature that encourages discovery through exploration and creation. If you’ve ever visited Paxton Gate in San Francisco, then you have an idea of what Oddyssea is all about. It’s where a neo-Victorian science lab meets a conservatory and an old-fashioned apothecary. Bromeliads and carnivorous plants, vintage toys, medicine cabinets, bones and skulls, and other natural science and oddities can be found here. Bring the family here to play vintage games, build science models and just check out some cool stuff.

The shop has two zones — an exploration zone and a creation zone. Inquisitive minds will love discovering interactive products and spending their time wandering between the two zones to find something that will delight the curious side of everyone.

EXPANDED: Mizu Hair Salon, 300 Main Street, Half Moon Bay, (650) 726-2088

Mizu Uptown reopened this month after a renovation, expanding their space to now include spa services. Full day spa services esthetician Rachel will now offered in the salon’s new treatment room. The salon also has a new website: www.mizusalon.com. Stay tuned for when the Expansion Party is happening.

CLOSED: , Strawflower Village, Half Moon Bay, (650) 560-9049

It’s just been a couple of weeks since Jamba Juice folded up shop and left town. With no explanation or signage on the brown-papered windows, customers are left wondering what happened and why did they closed.

Could it be because they were never able to carry their full line of wraps, sandwiches, salads and pizza-like flatbreads due to an agreement in their lease that prohibited them from selling food that would directly compete with neighboring businesses like Subway and Starbucks? It's only a guess.

"We periodically have to make tough decisions on the closing of stores and that can be done for a number of reasons ... lease renewal terms, store traffic, trade volume, etc.," said Janice Duis, Jamba Juice's senior director of corporate communications. "They are never done lightly nor without careful consideration of the circumstances and outcomes."

According to the employees at the neighboring UPS store, even the Jamba Juice employees were surprised when informed that in a just few short days they will no longer have a job there — that’s how quickly the smoothie giant closed the doors at the Half Moon Bay store.

"We are sorry to disappoint the Half Moon Bay community on the closing," said Duis. "Knowing how much members of the community may miss their local Jamba, perhaps we could offer fans in Half Moon Bay the option, when you can’t get into a store, of enjoying one of our At Home Smoothie Kit varieties, which can be purchased through select retailers listed on our website for home enjoyment."

It just won't be the same. Coastsiders will have to venture over the hill to get their Strawberry Whirls, Peach Perfections and Pomegranate Paradises.

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