Hollister
– For co-owners Kelly and Todd Owczarzak, the newly-opened
Cornerstone Coffee isn’t just a way to make money.
Hollister – For co-owners Kelly and Todd Owczarzak, the newly-opened Cornerstone Coffee isn’t just a way to make money.
Instead, the owners of Kelly’s Gift Place hope to fill a real vacuum in downtown Hollister.
“We’re hoping to give residents a reason to come downtown,” Kelly Owczarzak said.
Downtown Hollister has hot spots for adults – namely, its bars – but Todd Owczarzak said he and his wife want to create a destination that’s more “family friendly.” The coffee shop reflects its owners’ religious faith – the walls carry religious-themed paintings and there are more than 500 Christian books for sale – but the Owczarzaks emphasized that the store is aimed at the general populace.
Kelly Owczarzak said she plans to expand the book selection to include general interest titles. First on her list is J. K. Rowling’s final Harry Potter novel. Cornerstone Coffee will be hosting a midnight sale of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” on July 21.
After all, Kelly Owczarzak noted that her kids have become big Harry Potter fans and she has enjoyed watching the films.
“They’re just a lot of fun,” she said.
Cornerstone Coffee is located at the back of the Owczarzaks’ other store, Kelly’s Gift Place, 610 San Benito St., and they said they want the store to become a gathering place for community groups and activities
Albertsons Converting to Save Mart Soon
The local Albertsons supermarket will soon do business under a new name.
The store closed to customers Monday, but workers could be seen outside taking down the Albertson’s sign. Alicia Rockwell, a spokeswoman for Save Mart Supermarkets, said the store will reopen on Wednesday as a Save Mart.
The company bought many Albertson’s stores in 2006 and has set to work on converting them. The company plans to convert eight Albertson’s per week until October, Rockwell said.
When Save Mart opens on Wednesday morning, the layout of the store will remain essentially the same, Rockwell said, as will the staff.
“It will be the same employees and friendly faces. They’ll just have a new look,” she said.
But Rockwell added that local customers will notice one big difference – the prices. The store’s aisles will be covered with green tags pointing out lower costs.
Hollister Caterer Offers Italian Sandwiches
For some chefs, cooking is a family tradition. But Victoria MaGee, owner of Victoria’s Italian Deli and Catering, said her culinary career started out of necessity, not tradition.
“When I was growing up, my mother hated to cook, so my sister and I did all the cooking,” she said.
Over the years, MaGee said she has just fallen in love with making food and that’s why she started her own catering company. When she began looking for a bigger kitchen, she decided she might as well open her own restaurant, too. MaGee said the restaurant, at 1745 San Felipe Road, No. 3, gives her a chance to work with her daughter, too.
MaGee’s most popular dishes are her Italian combo sandwich and lasagna, but she emphasized that as a cook and caterer, she’s open to whatever her customers request.
“I work with clients to see what they want, not what I want,” she said.
Running a restaurant has been more tiring than she expected, but MaGee said it’s worth it.
“The restaurant business is a hard business, so you have to love it,” she said.
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