Hollister
– Dick Bruhn, the San Benito Street clothing store that has been
a fixture in downtown Hollister for decades, has closed.
Hollister – Dick Bruhn, the San Benito Street clothing store that has been a fixture in downtown Hollister for decades, has closed.
A sign posted at the store’s main entrance on Tuesday announced that after 57 years in business, Dick Bruhn is shutting its doors. The Dick Bruhn stores in Salinas, Monterey, Gilroy and Hollister will be closed until May 18, when every store except Hollister’s will reopen for a liquidation sale.
The Dick Bruhn store in Hollister had operated since the 1970s.
Gordon Machado, owner of Rustic Turtle Embroidery Works, said the closure is bad news for other downtown businesses, because Dick Bruhn worked as an “anchor” by drawing shoppers to the area However, Machado said he’d already suspected that the store was ailing, particularly after Dick Bruhn shut down its embroidery plant in Salinas earlier this year.
“I knew they weren’t cracking the nut,” Machado said.
A press release from San Francisco publicity firm Uecker and Associates said the liquidation sales will be handled by Patrick James Men’s Clothing, a retail firm based in Fresno.
The Free Lance called Uecker and Associates, as well as Dick Bruhn’s corporate offices in Salinas, to ask about the fate of the Hollister store. However, those calls were not returned by deadline on Tuesday.
A Patrick James representative confirmed that the company will not be taking over the stores, but will only be handling the clearance sales. The representative said a company spokesman who could answer further questions was unavailable.
Jerry Muenzer, owner of Muenzer’s Cyclery and Sports Center, agreed that the closure is bad news, but he said he’s hopeful that another “anchor” – for example, a bustling restaurant – will move in.
“Downtown is definitely going through some changes,” Muenzer said. “Instead of getting down in the dumps, we have to look for opportunities.”
Anthony Ha covers local government for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or [email protected].
