On a Wednesday at 6 p.m., a group of runners meets at 5353 Almaden Expressway. Around 6:15 they head out for a 5K, and the group is open to all abilities. The store they gather at sits partly on the footprint of the Barnes & Noble that closed on January 19, 2025.
That one footprint tells the larger story of Almaden Plaza since early 2023. Starting that year, several of the center's familiar chain tenants closed. Most of the spaces they left have been taken by businesses you visit to do something: a hobby, a sport, a meal at a counter. The plaza is still the place for a T.J. Maxx run. It is also becoming a place with a schedule.
Which Stores Closed, and What Replaced Them
The closings came in a cluster. The table below follows each space from its old tenant to its new one, using dates from local news coverage and the businesses' own pages.
| Former tenant | What happened | What's there now or planned |
|---|---|---|
| Red Lobster, 5343 Almaden Expressway | Closed after 39 years, reported March 2023 | Benihana planned, not yet confirmed open |
| Bed Bath & Beyond | Closed in 2023 after the chain's bankruptcy | Hobby Lobby, opened January 2025 |
| Buy Buy Baby | Shuttered by early 2025 | Part of Sports Basement, opened September 2025 |
| Barnes & Noble | Closed January 19, 2025 | Part of Sports Basement |
| A furniture retailer | Vacated | DSW, planned, no opening date announced |
Two of these spaces closed for very different reasons. Red Lobster's Almaden location had already closed by the time The Mercury News reported it in March 2023. The company described the closure as the result of a review of its locations. Bed Bath & Beyond closed here in 2023 after filing for bankruptcy. The bookstore's closing got its own coverage. In January 2025, The Mercury News wrote that it struck an emotional chord with readers.
Hobby Lobby Took the Upstairs Space
The first space to be refilled was the second floor of the old Bed Bath & Beyond building. Hobby Lobby opened there on Friday, January 17, 2025. It was the chain's 67th California store, at about 65,000 square feet.
The useful detail for neighbors is distance. Before this store opened, the closest Hobby Lobby in the South Bay was in Morgan Hill, in an old Mervyn's building. Shoppers who spoke with the paper on opening day said they no longer had to make that drive for craft and seasonal decor supplies.
The store may also grow. The former Bed Bath & Beyond space totals 78,000 square feet, and the same report says Hobby Lobby has an option to lease more of it. That option was reported in January 2025, and no expansion has been announced since then.
The Bookstore and Baby Store Became a Gear Shop
The biggest change is next door. Sports Basement leased about 86,000 square feet covering the closed Buy Buy Baby and the Barnes & Noble. It held its grand opening on Saturday, September 6, 2025.
The Sports Basement Almaden store page places it next to Costco. It describes a renovated space of more than 80,000 square feet, with bike and ski shops, gait analysis, and bike, ski and camping gear for rent. The store says many of its staff are locals, including general manager Eric Solberg. Regular hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends.
This is the clearest example of the plaza adding a schedule. The company's group listings show two standing meetups at the Almaden store:
- Wednesday group run. The group meets at 6 p.m. and starts a 5K around 6:15. All abilities are welcome.
- Saturday ride. Riders meet at 8:45 a.m. and roll out at 9. The ride is listed as intermediate-plus and no-drop.
The listings don't say whether there is a fee, so check with the store before your first visit. The company's calendar also mentions races, screenings and clinics. No regular Almaden clinic schedule is posted.
A New Lunch Counter, and a Restaurant Space Still Waiting
Food is the slowest part of the change. In October 2026, Hoodline reported that TleafGreen, a fast-casual Burmese spot, had opened at Almaden Plaza in April. The menu includes tea-leaf salad, build-your-own bowls, salads and hot-bar dishes. Its own site lists the address as 5353 Almaden Expressway, Suite 40-A.
The old Red Lobster building at 5343 Almaden Expressway is still the open question. What Now San Francisco reported in August 2025 that Benihana planned to open there, based on a liquor license application, with no opening date set. In January 2026, a follow-up from the same outlet said the San Jose location was slated for 2026. At the end of August 2026, The San Jose Blog still described it as on the way. As of mid-October 2026, we have not found a public report that it has opened or that gives a date.
So the space that held a sit-down seafood restaurant for 39 years has been waiting for a new tenant for three and a half years. Even so, a teppanyaki restaurant, where the chef cooks at your table, fits the same pattern as the stores around it.
DSW Is Next, and the Odds Favor More Leasing
The latest lease went to a shoe store. In August 2026, the Silicon Valley Business Journal reported that DSW is moving into a former furniture store space at the 560,000-square-foot center. The San Jose Blog put the store at about 14,400 square feet. It noted that San Jose's only current DSW is on Stevens Creek Boulevard, more than six miles from Almaden Plaza. No opening date has been announced.
The plaza is also adding ordinary shopping. Sephora also has a store here, in Space J-36. T.J. Maxx is still one of the center's large tenants.
The broader market suggests the leasing will continue. Summarizing the Business Journal, The San Jose Blog reported in August 2026 that Silicon Valley retail vacancy had dropped from 5.3 percent to 4.9 percent over the previous year. Little new construction has kept demand strong, especially in the San Jose, Campbell and Los Gatos area. With fewer empty storefronts to choose from, retailers have more reason to take an existing big space near the State Route 85 interchange. When Hobby Lobby's lease was signed, the commercial broker who arranged it told the paper the chain wanted the location for its freeway exposure.
A Saturday That Starts at the Plaza This Week
The Saturday ride is the first item on this week's local calendar. The group meets at Sports Basement at 8:45 a.m. on October 17 and rolls out at 9. Later that day, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Almaden Branch Library celebrates its 20th anniversary as part of the Annual Harvest Festival at the Almaden Community Center, 6445 Camden Ave. Lunch at TleafGreen fits between the two.
Plaza changes like these come up when neighbors talk about what's nearby, and buyers ask about them too. If you're wondering how your own home compares this fall, Elsa Garza can walk you through it in English or Spanish, with no pressure. Start with an Instant Home Valuation, and we can talk about the numbers whenever you're ready.
