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Dee Liu\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
Once viewed as a pit stop between the Bay Area and Lake Tahoe, Sacramento, California’s “City of Trees” with a thriving culinary scene<\/a>, has turned into a destination in its own right. Near Old Sacramento’s riverfront district<\/a>, Sacramento’s Midtown in particular has evolved into a place people want to visit, thanks in no small part to the collection of 1,200\u00a0trendy shops, restaurants, and other small businesses<\/a>.<\/p>\n Marking another year in the neighborhood’s evolution from stately Victorians and tree-lined streets to a thriving economic and social center, Midtown welcomes visitors with\u00a0at least 12 new businesses set to open or expand in 2026. These five restaurants, cafes, and shops have garnered particular attention in the community through local news features, grassroots funding campaigns, participation in entrepreneur incubator programs, exclusive soft openings, and word of mouth.\u00a0<\/p>\n Often referred to as “The Grid” by locals, Midtown occupies a nearly perfect square of grid-like streets\u00a0located east of Downtown Sacramento. When the weather isn’t incredibly hot, the neighborhood is walkable and easy to navigate.\u00a0Visitors can also use this local business map<\/a> to plan their trips and see what’s new. As a Bay Area local who visits Sacramento, I used my knowledge of Midtown (both past and present) to provide additional insight into this neighborhood, even though I haven’t personally checked out these small businesses yet.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n East Village Book Shop<\/p>\n In an age when Amazon and other online retailers have almost cornered the market on books, East Village Book Shop<\/a> makes sure the Sacramento community can get their hands on physical paperbacks, hardbacks, and other reading material. The Midtown location opened in January 2026\u00a0on J Street and represents the bookstore’s second branch. It’s an Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI)-owned business and has received a lot of support from the local book readers.<\/p>\n “People want this in their neighborhood and they’re putting their money where they want it,” shared bookseller Nooshin Movassaghi with CBS Sacramento<\/a>. Visitors can browse shelves filled with selections curated by staff as well as new releases, books by local authors, and a children’s section. Adding to the community-centric atmosphere, well-behaved dogs\u00a0are allowed to join their owners inside, and shoppers can help themselves to complimentary tea. Plenty of natural light floods in through the floor-to-ceiling front windows, while carefully organized shelves keep the space clean and uncluttered.<\/p>\n “This is my favorite bookstore and I’m sooooooo excited they opened this midtown location in addition to their East Sac location,” enthused a customer on Google Reviews<\/a>. “It’s also by lots of great restaurants and clothing shops so you can go to a bunch of fun places in the block.”\u00a0The J Street shop welcomes guests with community events, including an in-store Easter egg hunt and collaborations with local coffee shops like Kotu Coffee. Check the bookshop’s official Instagram account<\/a> for information about events, but make sure they’re at the J Street location.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Meza California<\/p>\n Started as a well-regarded\u00a0food stall at one of the best farmers’ markets in Sacramento<\/a>, Meza California<\/a> opened its first shopfront on 16th street. The menu features Middle Eastern-Mexican fusion street food, such as the Batata Harra Quesadilla. However, traditional dishes like hummus, baba Ghanouj, and muhummara ground the menu. “Our breads and spreads are at the center of meals made to be eaten together: warm bread to break and share, with small plates of seasonal fare,” per the restaurant’s\u00a0website<\/a>.<\/p>\n Although the official grand opening took place in December, the restaurant went on hiatus and didn’t reopen until the end of January. Guests praise the overall quality of the food and the flavor combinations.\u00a0“This was one of the best meals I have ever eaten. This is not an exaggeration,” raved a diner on Google Reviews<\/a>, continuing to describe the taco Arabe, a flatbread topped with lamb al pastor, in detail. “It was tender and moist and bursting with flavor. The arugula, pickled onions, etc., were the perfect complements and didn’t overwhelm the meat.”<\/p>\n Meza California is part of the Alchemist Kitchen Incubator Program, a Sacramento small business developer that connects culinary entrepreneurs with the resources and expertise needed for success. Occupying Simon’s Bar and Cafe’s former location, the restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday. You can still catch Meza California on Saturday mornings at the Midtown Farmers’ Market, but the 16th Street location offers more choices and indoor seating.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n De Cach\u00e9<\/p>\n
Madisonwi\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Hidden down on Jazz Alley near K Street,\u00a0De Cach\u00e9<\/a>\u00a0serves after-hours\u00a0(or after-dinner) drinks in a gilded speakeasy that transports guests to the “Golden Age of Mexico,” according to the official website. Thought up by the creators of Cantina Alley and Abuela’s, the lounge opened at the end of January. The interior features plush leather sofas, crystal chandeliers, and accents in red and gold, all washed in soft, amber lighting.<\/p>\n After-hours guests can enjoy Mexican- and Spanish-inspired cocktails\u00a0in one of Midtown’s historic Victorians. “This was basically a two-bedroom apartment. And then we got creative,” general manager Oscar Escobar shared with The Sacramento Bee<\/a>. “For instance, one of the sections of the bar has a confessional booth. It was a closet in one of the bedrooms that connects with the bar. Basically, the bartender will be the priest.”<\/p>\n De Cach\u00e9 can be found on the second floor of Abuela’s, near Cantina Alley. The restaurant hasn’t released details about its drink menu, but followers have already expressed excitement on social media.\u00a0“Looks AMAZING! I’ve been sharing the news with all my friends throughout the area,” wrote one guest on Instagram<\/a>.\u00a0The lounge had its soft opening ceremony in January and currently has soft opening hours on Fridays and Saturdays. However, visitors should check the official Instagram account<\/a> for up-to-date info, as the lounge is still in its early stages.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Lou’s Sushi<\/p>\n Opened at the end of January, Lou’s Sushi<\/a> is the latest venture for popular local chef Lou Valente. A Sacramento restaurant scene regular with 35 years\u00a0of experience\u00a0in the Japanese cuisine business, Valente has founded or been a part of numerous sushi enterprises, including a former iteration of Lou’s Sushi that closed eight years ago. However, the new restaurant represents a step forward for the chef.<\/p>\n Housed in the former Holy Spirits spot, on 20th Street, Lou’s Sushi boasts an industrial interior with exposed vents\u00a0and a kitchen visible through glass walls.\u00a0The menu focuses on hand rolls, but you’ll also find sashimi, nigiri, hot and cold small plates, and a few fan-favorite off-menu items like the “secret tofu” and “secret shrimp.” “I have missed this food so much! So happy to have Lou’s back in [Midtown]. The secret tofu was life-changing as usual,” shared a guest on Yelp<\/a>. “Great date night spot, incredible vibes inside, we can’t wait to come back.” The mushroom-infused Holy Shitake cocktail, provided by the LowBrau\u00a0next door, and the marinated tuna hand roll also earn a stamp of approval from diners.\u00a0<\/p>\n The community turned out to support Lou’s, helping Valente raise over $14,000 on GoFundMe. “The new Lou’s will honor the original spirit \u2014 intimate, authentic, and chef-driven \u2014 while growing into something fresh,” Valente shared in a message on GoFundMe<\/a>. “Think Tokyo alley soul meets Midtown energy.” The reinvigorated restaurant earns 4.9 stars on Google Reviews<\/a> and the rolls have appeared in several viral videos on social media<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Concept Coffee<\/p>\n Since opening in January, Concept Coffee<\/a> has accumulated over 70 reviews and a 4.8-star rating on Google Reviews<\/a> thanks to coffee drinkers ready to try out Midtown’s new shop. Situated on P Street, the cafe welcomes guests with minimalist decor\u00a0influenced by Scandinavian and Japanese designs. However, Concept Coffee offers more than aesthetics.<\/p>\n The cafe features a rotating menu, which includes bakery treats as well as brunch dishes like avocado toast and breakfast sandwiches. “We want to highlight what’s in season and think of creative and original food and drink ideas. The spirit of the food is, ‘can we make it delicious, different and fun at the same time,'” the cafe’s designer, Ester Nersisyan, told Daily Coffee News<\/a>. This creativity can be seen in specialty coffee offerings like the ube latte and bourbon maple latte, which reviewers on Yelp note aren’t too sweet.\u00a0<\/p>\n Concept Coffee is also the first cafe in Sacramento to use a Poursteady<\/a>, an automated pour-over coffee machine that allows for ultra-precise brewing. “I ordered the pour-over coffee, and it was an experience. Served in a teapot-style setup where you pour it yourself, and the flavor was unreal\u2014easily one of the best coffees I’ve had,” raved a cafe goer in Google Reviews<\/a>. Concept Coffee\u00a0is the brainchild of a three-person team, which includes the owner of Kingdom Coffee Roasters\u00a0and\u00a0Scott Ostrander of Gami Burger and Origami Asian Grill. The cafe started with a soft-opening but\u00a0is now open every day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Methodology<\/p>\n
Perawit Boonchu\/Getty Images<\/p>\n In this article, we highlighted only five “highly anticipated” small businesses that will open in the year to come or opened in the first months of 2026. We also highlighted one business that held a grand opening in 2025, but officially started welcoming customers in 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n To determine whether a business is highly anticipated or simply setting up shop, we looked for engagement indicators like featured news stories in local publications, social media engagement, community-driven fundraising campaigns, and other activities designed to draw attention to a venture. We also searched for reviews on Google Reviews, Yelp, and Tripadvisor, where customers communicated excitement about the new business or its products.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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