Valentina Will Open Here
A women’s clothing boutique named Valentina, has chosen Pacific Palisades for its first shop outside of Illinois. Valentina will share space with Phillips French Cleaners on Sunset.
At its three Illinois locations, Valentina carries women’s clothing, jewelry and items for gift and home. It plans on doing the same here.
One Illinois Yelp reviewer wrote, “Anything you need you can find it here… clothing, jewelry, accessories, home goods and more! Great spot to grab hostess gifts and your last-minute outfit for the night!”
The new store will be at 15224 Sunset (just west of the Chase Bank building). It will front Sunset. Dry cleaning customers can access Phillips through the parking lot at the back of the building.
The Draycott’s Happy Hour
The watermelon picante cocktail,
a Draycott signature drink, is available during Happy Hour from 3 to 5 p.m. daily.
The Draycott restaurant, located in Palisades Village, now offers two-for-one drinks during Happy Hour, 3 to 5 p.m. every day. That includes signature cocktails, such as the watermelon picante cocktail, and also wine.
Co-owner Marissa Hermer wrote Circling the News, “We just launched a new Happy Hour at The Draycott which I think might be the best deal in town! So would love if you could share with your readers.”
The restaurant’s afternoon menu includes several Draycott favorites including English Pea Dip, crab cakes and the Draycott burger.
One of the signature cocktails is the watermelon cocktail, which is made with Casamigos Blanco, crushed watermelon, Cointreau, lime juice and jalapeno.
Draycott’s head bartender said, “The Watermelon Picante is not your typical margarita. It is skinny for the health conscious, spicy for the courageous, and watermelon for why the hell not! The perfect balance of sweet, spicy, citrus and delicious — this cocktail you cannot duplicate (trust me they tried)!”
Cineopolis Lowers Prices
Not only have prices dropped to $12 for a matinee between 2 and 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, resident Sylvia Boyd alerted Circling the News that other prices have also been lowered. Check the website for current prices. The marketplace seems to be working to bring prices down to more realistic levels.
Madewell Jean Company
Madewell, which has clothing stores in Caruso’s Palisades Village, the Grove, on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, in Century City and in Topanga Plaza, has plans for an initial public offering.
According to a September 21 story in Bloomberg News (“Madewell Is Planning an IPO. Here’s What Investors Need to Know”), the company says that 60 percent of its merchandise came from China in 2018, with another 20 percent coming from Vietnam or Indonesia. The U.S. accounted for one percent.
Revenues this past fiscal year were $613.7 million, up from $463.5 million last year, and gross margins were 48 percent, which is down from 50 percent the previous year.
In addition to stores, the company sells online. The brand name was acquired in 2005. For a story about the initial workwear company that was founded in 1937 in New England by a Russian immigrant, visit: https://www.buzzfeed.com/dannosowitz/how-madewell-bought-and-sold-my-familys-history.
According to Bloomberg, with the public offering, “Madewell has said some of the proceeds will be used to pay down debt, while some will go toward general corporate purposes.” According to the filing, the store hopes to drive “outside growth in e-commerce.”
Online, Madewell jeans were available for $49.99, marked down from $128. The most expensive jeans were the Rivet & Thread Perfect Vintage Jeans and the Rivet & Thread High-Rise Stovepipe jeans ($198). Visit: madewell.com.