🍛What's replacing Nome Italiano?

A new Indian restaurant is opening up, a downtown coffee shop is closing, and Bend's summer concert lineup is rounding into shape

Author

Derek Carlson
March 04, 2025

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Bend! Welcome to March! I hope everyone was able to get out and enjoy the glorious weather over the weekend (although maybe not Sunday).

In today’s Bend Buzz:

  • 🍛 A new restaurant is taking over the old Nome Italiano space

  • ☕️ Downtown Bend is losing a coffee shop

  • 🎸 The summer concert lineup is rounding into shape

Let’s get to it.

— Derek Carlson

The first ADU built using the City of Bend’s Pre-Approved ADU Plan- built by Sierra James Construction. Photography by Jenn Montoya

🏡 SIERRA JAMES CONSTRUCTION - Your Trusted ADU Specialists

Did you know that the City of Bend now offers a free Pre-Approved Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) plan on their website? This is a great option for people wanting to add a little extra living space to their property while saving time and money. 

Sierra James Construction is proud to have built the first ADU using the City of Bend’s Pre-Approved Plan. This approach saved their client roughly $20,000 and shortened the design & permitting process by several weeks. 

With years of experience, Sierra James Construction brings unmatched expertise to every ADU project. They stay up to date with the latest city and county codes, ensuring your project meets evolving requirements. If plans are needed, their on-staff architect has designed 30+ ADUs that have been built and lived in. 

Whether you need expertly crafted plans or a seasoned team to navigate permits and construction, Sierra James Construction is the partner you can trust to make your ADU project a success.

📞 (541) 306-3775 

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SNAPSHOTS

🎸 Bend summer concert season is rounding into shape

We’re only a couple of months away from concert season at the amphitheater, and this year’s lineup is looking strong. Some shows are already sold out (don’t look at the resale prices at The Lumineers tickets 🫢), but there are still plenty of options available to get your much-needed dose of music and sun. And if all else fails, there’s always the river… 🚣 

Here’s the summer lineup so far:

May 19, 2025 - An Evening with James Taylor
May 25, 2025 - STING
May 26, 2025 - STING
May 28, 2025 - Khruangbin
May 29, 2025 - Brad Paisley
May 30, 2025 - An Evening with Goose
May 31, 2025 - The Black Keys
June 1, 2025 - Leon Bridges
June 7, 2025 - Yacht Rock Revue
June 14, 2025 - Styx & Kevin Cronin + Don Felder
June 15, 2025 - Peter Frampton
June 21, 2025 - Jon Pardi
June 22, 2025 - Earth, Wind & Fire
June 28, 2025 - Barenaked Ladies\
June 29, 2025 - Pink Martini
July 2, 2025 - Lake Street Dive
July 11, 2025 - Billy Currington & Kip Moore
July 18, 2025 - Jerry Seinfeld
July 23, 2025 - Dropkick Murphys and Bad Religion
July 24, 2025 - MAOLI
July 26, 2025 - The Red Clay Strays
July 30, 2025 - Old Dominion
July 31, 2025 - Dispatch
August 3, 2025 - Joe Bonamassa
August 5, 2025 - MY MORNING JACKET
August 7, 2025 - Tedeschi Trucks Band & Whiskey Myers
August 8, 2025 - Tedeschi Trucks Band & Whiskey Myers
August 11, 2025 - Rainbow Kitten Surprise
August 12, 2025 - RÜFÜS DU SOL
August 13, 2025 - The Lumineers
August 14, 2025 - The Lumineers
August 15, 2025 - Trampled By Turtles and Shakey Graves
August 17, 2025 - Alabama Shakes
August 21, 2025 - Lainey Wilson
August 22, 2025 - Mt. Joy
August 23, 2025 - Matt Rife
August 29, 2025 - GOO GOO DOLLS
August 30, 2025 - Japanese Breakfast
August 31, 2025 - An Evening with Chicago
September 10, 2025 - Neil young and the chrome hearts
September 12, 2025 - KIDZ BOP

BUSINESS HAPPENINGS

🍛 Crown Curry to take over former Nome space: Well, it didn’t take long for a new restaurant to announce they would be taking over the space off of Century Dr, formerly occupied by Nome Italiano. The new restaurant will be named Crown Curry and is the latest venture by Bhavna Pardeshi, who owns two other restaurants in Washington.

☕️ Turtle Island Coffee is closing: Over the weekend, downtown coffee shop Turtle Island Coffee announced that they would be closing for good on March 9th. The announcement stated that the closure was due to the challenging and unsustainable current economic climate.

🐟️ New food carts at Commonwealth Pub: On Sunday, the Commonwealth Pub announced the arrival of two new food trucks. Chips and the Fish will be on-site to serve up fish and chips because what is a British Pub without it? SDiegos California Burrito Company is the other addition, and they will be serving up SoCal-inspired burritos.

@THEBENDBUZZ

📍Old Mill District
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TOGETHER WITH HIGHER GROUND MOVING

Spring is in the air, and so is moving season! Whether you’re heading across town or making a bigger leap across the state, let’s be real—moving sucks. 😩 

The last thing you want is to deal with renting a moving truck that costs way more than expected, throw out your back hauling a dresser, or unbox your favorite table… only to find it scratched and dented. 😡🚛

Here’s a better idea: leave it to the pros. Higher Ground Moving is hands-down the best in town. Their expert team moves fast, handles your stuff with care, and has receipts to prove it—just check out their 5-star rating on Google with nearly 600 glowing reviews! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Save yourself the stress, sweat, and potential back injury. Call 541-316-3155 to get a free quote today and make your move actually easy. ✅

🚚 Thinking about a move in the future? See Higher Ground Moving in action! Check out their Facebook page to scope out the types of moves they handle—big, small, and everything in between. Click here to take a look!

LOCAL LOWDOWN

Tuesday 3.4

⚜️ Fat Tuesday Party: Southern Accent and Silver Moon Brewing are teaming up for a Fat Tuesday celebration with a feast of southern food and music from the Leadbetter Band. 6 PM Silver Moon Brewing

🕊️ Community gathering open house: Meet your community members or enjoy a quiet evening at the Hanai Center’s weekly open house. There are yoga mats, books, tea, wi-fi, arts & crafts, and a beautiful space for you to use, as well as an art night meetup to join. 4 - 7 PM 62430 Eagle Rd

🍽️ Lunch & learn: This month’s lunch and learn series at Larkspur Community Center takes a deep dive into the Netflix Docuseries You Are What You Eat and how certain foods impact the body. 12 PM 1600 SE Reed Market Rd

🎭️ Plays out loud: Join the reader’s theater at the Downtown Bend Library for a reading of The Mousetrap. Participants will take on characters from the play and read through it in a low-stress environment. 5:30 PM Downtown Bend Library

☘️ Glass shamrock scavenger hunt: Ad Glass & Design is bringing a little luck to Bend with their glass shamrock scavenger hunt. Follow along as they drop hints over the next few weeks on where you can find your own custom-made glass shamrocks.

❓️ Trivia Tuesdays at Bunk + Brew: Tuesday means it is time for another round of trivia at Bunk + Brew. 7 - 9 PM 42 NW Hawthorne Ave

Wednesday 3.5

✂️ Cottage craft club: Stop by Pomegranate Home for an evening of crafting and conversation. Materials are provided, so show up and see where your creativity takes you. 5 - 7:30 PM 120 NE Bend River Mall

🧒 Free kids line dance lessons: Want your little ones to learn the Texas Two Step or the Banjo Bump? Cross-Eyed Cricket is offering free dance lessons to kids ages 6 - 12. 5 PM 20565 NE Brinson Ave

🏂️ SheJumps adventure speaker series: There are only two nights left in the SheJumps adventure speaker series, and at this month’s event you’ll hear from two female army captains who are empowering military women through adventure. 6 PM 2843 NW Lolo Dr Bend

🏃🪨 Raiders of the Lost Ark: The 85th-anniversary celebration at the Tower Theatre continues with a showing of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Tickets to this classic flick are only $2.50! 7 PM Tower Theatre

📖 Family story time: Bring the little ones (ages 0 - 5) to the Downtown Bend Library for a half hour of stories, songs, and fun. 9:30 PM Downtown Bend Library

Thursday 3.6

💃 Mindfulness dance meditations: Release that midweek stress with a free dance meditation class at The Space in NE Bend. 12 PM 2570 NE Twin Knolls Dr

🍷 SMART sip: Join SMART Reading at their annual benefit event for an evening of delicious food and drinks. You will also have a chance to learn more about the program’s work to inspire little readers across Central Oregon. 6 PM 61240 Skyline Ranch Rd

❄️ Winter PrideFest ‘25: Winter PrideFest ‘25 kicks off their weekend of events with a welcome “Snocial” at Volcanic Theatre Pub. Mix and mingle with attendees over food and drinks. 5:30 - 10 PM Volcanic Theatre Pub

🖋️ Author! Author!: The Deschutes Public Library is kicking off their 2025 Author! Author! series with Anis Mojgani. Anis was Oregon’s 10th Poet Laureate, along with his long list of writing accomplishments. 7 PM Mountain View High School Auditorium

🕺 Underground Latin dance party: Show off those dance moves at The Capitol’s monthly underground Latin Dance Party. DJ Solo will be there to keep the music spinning. 8 PM - Late The Capitol

🍺 Community pint night: The Ale Apothecary and Oregon Adaptive Sports are teaming up for an evening of pints and cribbage for a cause. 4 - 7 PM The Ale Apothecary

Weekend Preview

Here’s a sneak peek at what’s happening in Bend this upcoming weekend.

LIVE MUSIC

Tuesday 3.4

Silver Moon Brewing | Fat Tuesday Celebration w/The Leadbetter Band | 6 PM | Tickets
Domino Room | Ballyhoo! | 8 PM | Tickets

Wednesday 3.5

Old St. Francis School | Use’ta Do | 7 PM
Silver Moon Brewing | Haute Melange | 7 PM | Tickets
Portello Wine & Spirits | Mark Creech | 6 PM
Silver Moon Brewing | Riley Downing | 7 PM | Tickets
Commonwealth Pub | Juliane Hansen | 7:30 PM
Crosscut Warming Hut | Eric Leadbetter | 6 PM

Thursday 3.6

Bar Rio | Ladies’ Night local showcase w/Ali & Co | 6 PM
Stoller Wine Bar | The Critical Blues Band | 6 PM
River’s Place | Piña Colada | 6 PM
Commonwealth Pub | Eric Leadbetter | 7:30 PM
The Lot | Paul Eddy | 6 PM
Silver Moon Brewing | Cptn Over, Moon Rattles, North by North & Sungrater | 7 PM | Tickets

WHO’S HIRING IN CENTRAL OREGON

Looking for your next job? Here are some local listings that have popped up over the last week.

Searching for a new job? Browse the full job board

Looking for local candidates for your open position? Post your job

THANKS!

Stay warm, and thank you again for reading!

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