Agoura Hills' Newest Restaurants Keep Arriving From Malibu

"Agoura Hills is right at the top of the canyon, so this still feels like home turf to us," Ryan Ahrens told The Malibu Times in August, as Malibu Brewing Company got ready to open in the building that had been Ladyface Ale Companie. He was speaking for one brewery, but the same idea fits a lot of 2026 in Agoura Hills. Some of the town's most recognizable empty restaurant spaces are being picked up by operators who made their names in Malibu and treat Agoura as the next town over.

Those owners have not all had the same results. Malibu Brewing's taproom has been open since late August. Papa Razzi's Pizza is getting ready to open on Kanan Road. Howdy's Cafe opened on Canwood Street in March and was closed by late August.

The Ladyface building reopened with Malibu's bar inside it

Ladyface Brewery and its on-site restaurant, Tavern Tomoko, closed Dec. 22, as the Ventura County Star reported on Jan. 3, 2025. The Malibu Times put Ladyface's run at more than 15 years. About 20 months later, Malibu Brewing reopened the building at 29281 Agoura Road on Aug. 25, 2026, with a 10:30 a.m. ribbon-cutting reported by Conejo Valley Guide.

The owners are Ryan and Jill Ahrens. They opened the original Malibu Brewing at Trancas Country Market in September 2022, and in January The Malibu Times reported they were also planning a location at Universal CityWalk. Several Malibu details came with them to Agoura. White brick surrounds the bar, the bar top is reclaimed bowling alley wood, and the smashburger and fish tacos are on the menu at both locations.

"We wanted our neighbors just over the hill in Agoura Hills to experience the Malibu we know and love, the place our friends and neighbors call home." Jill Ahrens, quoted in The Malibu Times

The Ladyface era is still part of the building. The on-site brewhouse was updated and stays at the center of the space. The new owners plan brewmaster tours, tastings and seasonal releases there. Two beers were brewed just for this location. Ladyface IPA is named for the mountain you can see from the taproom windows and patio, and it is also sold in 16-ounce four-packs. Overly Ambitious, a Belgian Dubbel, takes its inspiration from Blind Ambition, a beer the building served when it was Ladyface.

The renovated space seats 190, with lounge seating and indoor dining around a central bar of 22 taps. Outside is a 115-seat, all-weather patio meant for live music and community programming. According to the Agoura Hills taproom page, hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. On opening day, the brewery pledged 20% of sales, up to $2,500, to the Southeast Ventura County YMCA in Westlake Village.

Agoura Meadows is next, with December as the pizza target

The second Malibu arrival is headed to Agoura Meadows Shopping Center. Parma's Pizzeria at 5649 Kanan Road closed as of Oct. 5, 2025. What Now Los Angeles reported on Oct. 27 that Papa Razzi's Pizza is taking over that space. Co-owners Tamar Asayag and Oren Zroya told the outlet they are aiming to open in December 2026.

The original Papa Razzi's is at 29169 Heathercliff Road in Malibu and serves New York-style pizza made with long-fermented sourdough, cooked without seed oils. According to What Now, the Agoura Hills location will use the same menu and approach. When What Now asked why they chose Agoura Meadows, the owners pointed to the businesses already in the center:

"It's really a great plaza. There's a lot of great local small businesses around us, and we always like to be surrounded by good local businesses, as we are in our first location in Malibu."

What Now named some of those neighbors: Latigo Kid, Italia Deli, Cronies and a Vons. Agoura Meadows had already added one newcomer this year. Cafecito opened in July at 5639 Kanan Road, next to The Boba Tea Bar. Its menu mixes Cuban, Latin American, vegan and vegetarian dishes, including a Cuban Sandwich, a Ropa Vieja plate and a Steak Chimichurri Platillo. Cafecito's operator also had a Calabasas location at 4774 Park Granada, so it is another regional operator rather than an outside chain. If Papa Razzi's opens on schedule, this one Kanan Road center will have two 2026 arrivals from operators based just outside town.

A Malibu track record did not keep Howdy's open on Canwood Street

Howdy's Cafe shows the move does not always work. It took over 29001 Canwood Street, next to Trader Joe's, the space Jinky's Kanan Cafe occupied until it closed in December 2023. Howdy's soft-opened on March 6, 2026, and Conejo Valley Guide reported it closed in late August.

Its founder had more Malibu history than either of the other newcomers. According to the cafe's own account, Howdy Kabrins started La Salsa in 1979 and ran Howdy's Taqueria in Malibu from 1995 to 2014. He opened Howdy's Sonrisa Cafe at 23401 Civic Center Way in Malibu in 2020. The Canwood Street cafe closed in the same month Malibu Brewing opened on Agoura Road.

Who is filling Agoura's familiar spaces

Malibu operators took the spaces people in town know best. Other storefronts went to a regional operator and a chain, and one fast-food spot that had been on Kanan Road for decades closed.

The Malibu operators chose spaces that already had loyal customers and a local identity: a brewery that ran for more than 15 years, a pizza spot in a busy neighborhood center, and a cafe next to Trader Joe's. Malibu Brewing went further than reusing the building. It named its beers after Ladyface's mountain and Ladyface's old beer, so its opening pitch included the building's history.

Agoura Hills' own restaurateurs are expanding too. Bastina is the Italian food shop that Basta's Saverio and Devon planned for Whizin Market Square, two doors from Basta.

Where things stand this week

For the first week of November, this is the order to try the newcomers in:

1. Malibu Brewing Company, 29281 Agoura Road. It is open daily until 9 p.m. Weekend hours start at 10 a.m. The Ladyface IPA and Overly Ambitious are served only at this location, and Ladyface IPA four-packs are available to take home.
2. Cafecito, 5639 Kanan Road. Find it next to The Boba Tea Bar at Agoura Meadows. It has been open since July.
3. Papa Razzi's Pizza, 5649 Kanan Road. It is in the same center as Cafecito, and the owners are aiming for December. Its Instagram is where the owners post updates.

If you've noticed a storefront changing hands on Agoura Road or Kanan Road and wondered who's behind it, I follow these openings closely and would be glad to talk about how they're changing the town. Reach out to Paul Coleman. Let's Connect.