Sprouts & Shutters: Flower Shop Fights Starbucks, Pavilions, Renee's Courtyard Cafe

Wondering what new businesses are moving into your neighborhood, and which are saying farewell? Our Sprouts & Shutters column highlights the latest restaurant, retail and other business news in L.A.'s Westside neighborhoods. If you've noticed any other new businesses moving into your neighborhood or businesses closing up shop, leave a comment at the bottom of this article and we'll check it out.

Sprouts:

, recently replaced Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing at on Abbot Kinney in Venice. The restaurant, named after the owner Brad Johnson’s Southern grandmother, features such dishes as California quail with cornmeal dumplings and greens for $13 and sweet tea-brined pork chop with wilted greens and date mostarda for $23. 

Dutch clothing boutique Scotch & Soda has begun remodeling the storefront on Abbot Kinney that furniture store Plantation previously occupied. The Amsterdam-based fashion brand currently has ten locations in the U.S., and the Abbot Kinney store would be the first in Southern California.

Men's and women's clothing line Velvet by Graham & Spencer plans to open its first Los Angeles retail store at 26th and San Vicente in Brentwood by the end of April to early May. Branam said the overall feel of the approximately 1,500-square-foot brick and mortar space at will be that of an open airy loft, with polished cement flooring will lend an industrial vibe to the clean and simple space.

Shutters:

For the first time in almost 65 years, a flower shop could cease to occupy the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and 11th Street in Santa Monica. Saeed Maoyedi is the owner of Farrah's Florist and he is in the middle of a campaign to prevent Starbucks from replacing his business, which he said has rented the space for nearly 25 years.

The Pavilions on Wilshire Boulevard and Stoner Avenue in West Los Angeles has gone out of business. It closed just about a month after Albertsons—located a few blocks west on Wilshire at Franklin Street—lost its lease to Bristol Farms.

Renee's Courtyard Cafe, the beloved dive on Wilshire Boulevard and Fourth Street in Santa Monica, will close after last call Sunday morning. It will reemerge next month as TINGA an expansion of the sleek Mexican joint on La Brea. TINGA's chef and owner Chris Barker purchased Renee's from its namesake, Renee Forest, and has kept it running with few changes since early February.

Planet Raw—where the pricey menu was organic, gluten-free, and obviously raw—has vacated the corner of Broadway and Sixth Street in Santa Monica after 13 years. Chef Juliano Brotman told Patch Planet Raw will reopen in about two weeks on Lincoln and Washington boulevards in Marina del Rey. Expect a second location in Hollywood "in the near future," he said.

The Brentwood Village Market & Wine Shop at 11725 Barrington Court is holding a liquidation sale until March 31 and then closing its doors, according to its owner, who says he's losing his lease after receiving a notice of a rent increase.

Have you seen an opening or closing of a restaurant or shop in your community? Let us know in the comments!