A new dessert shop specializing in frozen-milk shaved ice and soft serve has opened at 1399 N. Main St. in downtown Walnut Creek, filling a storefront that sat empty after A-1 Shoe & Luggage Repair closed.
Milky Flakes, a locally owned family business, opened the weekend of July 5, according to Diablo Magazine's July 7 Diablo Dish column. The shop occupies the corner of North Main and Cypress streets and had been in the works for nearly a year, with building permits filed in mid-2025, the Bay Area Telegraph reported June 29.
The menu centers on three products: soft serve made with organic matcha and Japanese Hokkaido milk; small-batch ice cream made with fresh cream; and the shop's namesake "Milky Flakes," frozen milk shaved into thin ribbons and layered with fresh fruit, syrup, condensed milk, and cold foam. Mango and strawberry are the launch flavors.
On its Walnut Creek Downtown listing, the shop describes itself as a family operation: "We're a locally owned family business serving handcrafted desserts made with premium ingredients from Italy, Japan, and beyond. Every recipe is something we'd happily serve our own kids."
Milky Flakes enters a crowded field. Diablo Magazine noted that downtown Walnut Creek already has upwards of ten ice cream shops, though it observed the newcomer "appears to offer unique products that set it apart." Brazilian gelato brand Bacio di Latte plans to open on North Main later in 2026, according to the Bay Area Telegraph.
Broadway Plaza vacancy lingers after RH withdrawal
Meanwhile, the former Neiman Marcus building at Broadway Plaza remains without a tenant after Restoration Hardware, now branded as RH, pulled its design review application in June.
The project, filed as Design Review & Tree Removal Permit Application No. Y25-046, was withdrawn before the Walnut Creek Planning Commission's June 11 hearing, according to the commission's agenda. RH had proposed four single-story commercial buildings totaling 29,908 square feet on a 1.14-acre site at 1000 South Main St. and 1401 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Plans included a Mediterranean-style complex with fountains, landscaped courtyards, and a glass conservatory restaurant.
The former Neiman Marcus space has been vacant since 2021. RH had not released a public statement about the withdrawal as of July 7, Diablo Magazine reported.
A city spokesperson told Patch the city is still working with RH and exploring other tenants for the site. Patch reporter Angela Woodall first reported the withdrawal on July 2.
No replacement tenant or new hearing date has been announced for the Broadway Plaza site.
