Palo Alto's retail and restaurant scene saw some major changes this year with the opening of noteworthy restaurants and the debut of the area's first outposts for a number of international brands at Stanford Shopping Center.

The mall celebrated the opening of 18 new stores — or about double the amount that opened in 2018. Among the new retailers are MIRROR interactive home gym, Rituals cosmetics company, men's clothing retailer Rodd & Gunn and electronics store Samsung. Altogether, the shopping center celebrated the opening of 18 new stores — or about double the amount that opened in 2018.

Palo Alto's downtown and California Avenue shopping districts attracted a mix of new eateries, including a natural wine bar, two new pizza houses and the second U.S. location of the renowned tapas restaurant Telefèric Barcelona, often referred to as a temple to Spanish cuisine.

The community also said goodbye to a few longtime beloved institutions, including Round Table Pizza, which closed after five decades along University Avenue, and Phyllis Boutique, which had ties to the city that stretched back to 1935.

We've captured the city's most notable openings and closings during 2019 on an interactive map, which can be viewed here.

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