Bakersfield's rumor mill is humming again over the proposed Riverview Marketplace, the Whole Foods-anchored shopping center planned for the southwest corner of Rosedale Highway and Coffee Road. This time the chatter involves Philz Coffee and CAVA, two brands linked to the project in recent rumors. The buzz arrives just as the project heads toward a City Council look at its environmental impact report next month.
According to KGET 17 News, the latest round of talk traces to an Instagram post from Andrae Gonzales on Oct. 26, which said Philz Coffee and CAVA are making moves to join the Whole Foods project. The station reports that neither brand has been confirmed as a tenant. Tracy Leach, a project spokesperson, said no additional confirmed tenants could be shared as of Tuesday.
Only Two Names Are Locked In
For now, the confirmed roster is short. Whole Foods is the anchor, and the same KGET reporting lists McDonald's as the only other confirmed tenant. An earlier KGET report quoted the developers as saying Whole Foods and McDonald's are the only two tenants that have signed leases.
That doesn't mean the developer is sitting idle. The same developer statement says the team is communicating and negotiating with many more national, regional and local tenants, though none of those deals have been confirmed. DJM Capital Partners is the project's developer.
The Cheesecake Factory Rumor Was Shot Down
This isn't the first time a big-name restaurant has been tied to the site. Earlier this year, Riverview Marketplace was discussed as a possible home for Bakersfield's first Cheesecake Factory. Per KGET, both the developers and a restaurant spokesperson denied that in July, calling the rumors untrue.
The idea wasn't invented out of thin air, though. An earlier piece from The Bakersfield Californian reported that nothing was final but that The Cheesecake Factory may join Marshalls, McDonald's and outdoors-wear retailer Sierra. Treat that as a reminder of how quickly a maybe can harden into a rumor.
What's Planned on the 46 Acres
The project sits on about 46 acres in northwest Bakersfield, according to KGET. Plans call for more than 1,750 parking spaces, and project buildout is anticipated to end in the second quarter of 2028.
One Californian story called it a 375,194-square-foot lifestyle-retail project, while the City of Bakersfield's CEQA notice specifies 405,531 square feet of total building space for Riverview Marketplace. The 375,194-square-foot figure may describe a different project measure. That same Californian report noted a phased plan, with later stages extending west and south of the initial corner development.
On the economic side, KGET says the development is estimated to bring about 2,000 jobs, roughly 1,000 during construction and 1,000 permanent. Earlier coverage from BakersfieldNow projected over 1,000 employment opportunities and about $209 million in sales.
Next Stop: The City Council
The Bakersfield Planning Commission has already signed off on the project's final environmental impact report and a general plan amendment. A city spokesperson says the City Council is expected to consider the environmental impact report in November. The precise meeting date was not provided.
The review is rooted in state environmental law. A CEQA notice from the City of Bakersfield identifies the city as lead agency and confirms it prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Riverview Marketplace Project. Until the Council weighs in, and until more leases are signed, the Philz and CAVA talk remains just that.
