At 121 West Foothill Boulevard, a short walk west of Euclid Avenue, two storefronts held grand openings in 2026. One unit down sits a pizza place, one unit up an açaí bowl counter, and next door at 131 West Foothill are Sammy's Cafe and Wicked Cow Burgers & Brews. That puts four places to eat at two addresses, and half of them are new this year.
The timing is the strange part. All of that block lies inside the stretch of Foothill that the City of Upland scheduled for a full rehabilitation from October 2025 through August 2026. During that work, the City told drivers to expect "lane reductions, closures, and detours." New businesses still scheduled ribbon cuttings on a street that was being ground down and repaved under them. Now the City is running a stamp-card game to send people back down that same road, and it ends on Friday, October 16.
What the City Was Building Under Everyone's Tires
The project ran from Benson Avenue east to Euclid Avenue and was budgeted at $13.2 million. The City's project page lists the work as asphalt grinding, roadway resurfacing, new water pipelines, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, driveway approaches, traffic signals, landscaping, enhanced lighting and bike-lane improvements. Funding came from several places. San Bernardino County Supervisors Curt Hagman and Jesse Armendarez put in $4 million of discretionary money, and the rest came from the City's water and sewer funds, gas tax, ARPA and RMRA dollars.
Much of that work happens under the pavement. New water pipelines mean digging, and digging is the reason a lane disappears for weeks at a time. For a small restaurant that depends on people pulling in on impulse, that is the hardest kind of year to open in.
The City billed its Route 66 Centennial Celebration at Memorial Park on Saturday, October 3, as an event to "highlight the much-anticipated reopening of Foothill Boulevard." As of this week, the City's capital projects page still lists the job as "Construction (October 2025 - August 2026)." The City has not published a completion notice we could find, so the reopening language from the event page is the best official word for now.
The Openings, in Order
The Upland Chamber of Commerce keeps a record of ribbon cuttings, and the Foothill entries from this year line up with the construction calendar:
- May 14, 2026. The Chamber scheduled the grand opening of Flavor Theory at 121 W. Foothill Blvd., Unit A2. The Chamber describes it as a health-focused eatery known for customizable superfood and açaí bowls.
- July 1, 2026. The Upland Pizza Company held its ribbon cutting at the same building. Its current ordering page lists 121 W. Foothill Blvd., Ste. B, with dine-in and takeout.
- July 21, 2026. Charleys Cheesesteaks & Wings scheduled its ribbon cutting at 1398 E. Foothill Blvd., east of Euclid and outside the rehab segment.
- September 23, 2026. Red Devil Pizza celebrated its grand opening at 907 W. Foothill Blvd. The Chamber calls it a family-owned business.
Two of those four openings went into the same building at 121 West Foothill, right next to two places that were already there. Sammy's Cafe lists hours of 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 131 W. Foothill Blvd., Ste. B. Wicked Cow Burgers & Brews, at 131 W. Foothill Blvd. #1, describes itself as burgers and craft brews. If you work near Euclid, that cluster covers breakfast through a late dinner within a few doors.
The Chamber listing is the most recent public record of Flavor Theory we found, so check before you make a special trip there.
A Road Older Than Any of Them
The newer storefronts sit along a corridor whose oldest landmarks went up in 1929, three years after U.S. 66 was created. The Madonna of the Trail stands at the corner of Euclid Avenue and Foothill Boulevard. A Route 66 guide dates the California statue's dedication to February 1, 1929, and says it is one of 12 National Old Trails monuments. The California Historic Route 66 Association lists its address as 1010 Euclid Avenue. Other guides put it in the 1100 block of North Euclid. Either way it sits right at the Foothill intersection.
The Buffalo Inn also opened in 1929. That Route 66 restaurant at 1812–1816 W. Foothill Blvd., near Central Avenue, closed in 2015. In July 2026 the Daily Bulletin reported that the 4.42-acre site was proposed for 72 condominiums. So one 1929 landmark is still at its corner, and the other's site is proposed for housing.
Other Route 66 stops along Upland's Foothill are still running:
| Stop | Address | What's there |
|---|---|---|
| Route 66 coffee-cup sculpture | 1013 W. Foothill Blvd., outside Starbucks | Viewable around the clock |
| Fiesta Pizza | 1013 W. Foothill Blvd., Unit B | Dine-in, takeout, delivery |
| "Golden Arches McDonalds Classic" | 1590 W. Foothill Blvd. | Active McDonald's |
| "McDonalds Double Arches Old Style" | 100 E. Foothill Blvd. | Active McDonald's |
Both McDonald's names come from the Route 66 association's list of Upland points of interest, and McDonald's own locator shows both restaurants as active. Not every longtime business made it. Mi Ranchito Restaurant & Cantina at 1964 W. Foothill Blvd. closed on August 26, 2025, the Daily Bulletin reported. That location had opened in 2016.
Twelve Days to Fill a Stamp Card
The City's Road Trip Challenge is built for this corridor. Participating businesses along Foothill stamp a Road Trip Map for each visit. A purchase earns an extra "Fuel Up" stamp, which enters you in separate drawings, and every stamp adds to your chances. The challenge started September 21, runs through October 16, and winners will be announced October 19.
The City hasn't published the list of participating businesses or the prizes, so you have to pick up a card to see which doors count. Cards are available at participating businesses and at four City buildings, which keep different hours:
- Gibson Senior Center, 250 North 3rd Avenue. Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Magnolia Recreation Center, 651 West 15th Street. Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Landecena Community Building, 1325 San Bernardino Road. Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Upland City Hall, 460 North Euclid Avenue. Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The hours matter more than they seem to. October 16 is a Friday, and three of the four City buildings are open only Monday through Thursday, so the last weekday to get a card there is Thursday, October 15. Gibson Senior Center is the only one of the four open on Fridays and Saturdays. It is also the only pickup spot open next Saturday, October 10.
The centennial event had one more deadline. Kids 12 and under could enter cardboard cars in a showcase. Voting opened October 3, and the City says winners will be announced October 14. Questions about the event go to the Gibson Senior Center at (909) 981-4501.
Putting a Stamp Run Together
Here is one way to fill a card before the deadline. Start at the Madonna at Euclid and Foothill, then walk west to the 100 block, where Sammy's, Wicked Cow, Upland Pizza Company and Flavor Theory share two addresses. Drive west to Red Devil Pizza at 907 W. Foothill, the coffee cup and Fiesta Pizza at 1013, and the classic arches at 1590. Then finish at the double arches at 100 E. Foothill, on the other side of Euclid. That route takes in every Foothill address in this post that is still open.
If you want to make a night of it, the Historic Downtown Upland association lists 2nd on 2nd for Saturday, October 10, from 5 to 10:30 p.m. Second Avenue closes to cars that night for live bands, outdoor dining and vendors. Gibson Senior Center at 250 North 3rd Avenue is open that morning from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., so you can pick up a card there, fill it on Foothill that afternoon, and be downtown by evening.
When a new business opens on a street that's still under construction, it tells you something about where that street is headed. At Shannon Brady Realty, we follow corridors like Upland's Foothill Boulevard block by block, from openings to pending redevelopments like the Buffalo Inn site. If you own a home near this stretch and want to know how a year of new pavement and new storefronts figures into its value, start with an instant home valuation.
