Small business is the backbone of the American economy. And in
South County, and elsewhere, many are bucking against the downturn
trend, their enthusiasm and optimism assuring high sales through
satisfied well-serviced customers, said Scott Hauge, president of
Small Business California, a nonprofit bipartisan trade group.
Small business is the backbone of the American economy. And in South County, and elsewhere, many are bucking against the downturn trend, their enthusiasm and optimism assuring high sales through satisfied well-serviced customers, said Scott Hauge, president of Small Business California, a nonprofit bipartisan trade group.
“I’ve been doing this stuff for 25 years, and I have never seen the fear,” Hauge said of small business owners. People are absolutely terrified.”
Yet Hauge said, and a February online survey conducted by Small Business California confirms, California’s small business owners remain one of the most cheery and optimistic segments of the economy.
Of the 616 participating California small business owners, 84 percent said they believed they would still be in business three years from now.
“They’re scared, but they’re optimistic anyhow,” Hauge said.
Morgan Hill’s Massage Envy
New business owners Danielle and Jeff Fiegel celebrated their Massage Envy franchise’s first anniversary March 14. The massage shop, located in Cochrane Commons on Cochrane Road, is the first business owned by the married couple.
“We cannot complain, we have done well from the very beginning,” Danielle Fiegel said.
When the Fiegels started implementing their plan, the economy was holding its own. The economy didn’t become a concern for them until December 2008, she said.
“It was one of those things where, there was no turning back, we had already leased the space and purchased the franchise agreement and secured the loan…” Fiegel said.
Fiegel said they’ve worked hard to keep spirits up for their 27 employees.
“The only month we have had that scared us was November,” Fiegel said. “We kept staff motivated, looked at different marketing campaigns and changed some of our advertising so that once Thanksgiving passed and it rolled into December, we did unbelievable gift certificate sales.”
Massage Envy sold 450 gift cards from Dec. 1 through the 24, Fiegel said.
“It was more than any other in the region, which is spectacular because we are in the smallest demographic in the region,” she said, noting that there are nine stores in the Central Valley region. “It’s been pretty phenomenal. Morgan Hill has definitely embraced us.”
And Massage Envy has embraced Morgan Hill, with active participation at Morgan Hill’s many community events from Mushroom Mardi Gras to Taste of Morgan Hill, and donating one hour massages and gift baskets to high schools and nonprofits as well.
“We look forward to being in the area for a long time,” Fiegel said.
Socrates Diego’s secret to success is the service.
Whether it’s the wait staffs’ friendly smiles and attentive service, the relationship Diego tries to establish with his clientele or the homemade touch he puts into every dish, Garlic City Cafe is doing something right. Even during the in-between-meals dead zone that empties out most restaurants late in the afternoon, patrons trickled into the cozy cafe, their noses guiding them to the rich aroma of the eatery’s signature dish – the cream of garlic soup.
“People love the soups,” Diego said, as his wife and co-owner Margarita Velasquez swept by with a steaming bowl of the creamy, homemade concoction. “Everything is fresh and made from scratch.”
Despite the dearth of business that has hit many small businesses, Diego said the novelty of Garlic City – the cafe opened last June – still hasn’t worn off and word-of-mouth buzz keeps business steady and lunch time hectic.
Diego opened Garlic City after years of culinary experience as the executive chef for the Golden Oak Restaurant in Morgan Hill and at the Gilroy Hilton Garden Inn. Though Diego often emerges from the kitchen to ring up a bill, greet a customer or even deliver an order, Velasquez’s is usually the first face patrons see. Deftly maneuvering behind the pastry case filled with freshly made cheesecakes, muffins and cookies, Velasquez prepared espressos for one of her tables and chatted briefly with her customers. Complete with shining grinders, an espresso machine and a refrigerator of fresh fruit, the restaurant offers a variety of caffeinated drinks, smoothies, juices and shakes.
Velasquez and Diego said they expect to extend their hours – they are currently open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week – to include a dinner menu of steaks, pastas and salads – typical California cuisine – in the coming months.
Other than Diego’s brother and sister-in-law, who help the couple behind the scenes and with the customers, Diego and Velasquez run the show.
“People are always surprised that I do everything,” Diego said as he juggled the many duties of running a restaurant. “It gets a little crazy but it’s fun.”
A perfectionist at heart, Diego values quality food and service – the two key components of running a successful restaurant. Hand selected and chosen for their quality and freshness, Garlic City Cafe’s ingredients speak for themselves. Combined with a friendly, family atmosphere, business is standing the test of the economy and Diego only hopes it will grow as they add more dishes and longer hours.
The 19th Hole in Tres Pinos highlights history
It didn’t take a new approach, theme or gimmick to find an immediate winning formula at The 19th Hole in Tres Pinos. It took the precise opposite, in fact, at a place where generations of ranchers, cowboys and hunters have carved a unique history – it’s literally etched in the walls – defined by storytelling, bonding and booze.
It isn’t exactly new, this approach. Actually, it isn’t new at all. That’s what gives The 19th Hole so much character, especially in a town of where rural and tradition still rule. The building and restaurant owners followed the roots and found what might become, if it hasn’t already, the heart of Tres Pinos.
But this business did, in fact, open its doors in the past year. It reopened them. When Carlos and Shawna Castillo in July took over the reinvigorated restaurant and bar – whose roots date back to 1883 – it was more about simplicity, about highlighting rancher history, telling it, than anything else.
They did it with a whole lot of help, though. The building is owned by Florian and Lori Barth, who renovated the establishment for nine weeks before the restaurant’s opening just in time for the county’s big rodeo weekend in June. The Barths lease the building to the Castillos.
“I think that the bar and the restaurant itself has so much history that it just draws people in,” said Shawna Castillo, who also noted a simple, affordable menu and a growing reputation for the rib-eye steak as reasons people keep coming back, particularly on the very busy Friday and Saturday nights.
It might also have a lot to do with the comfortable, genuine environment they foster. Even if there’s no one to talk to, there’s plenty to read on walls filled with photos telling the area’s history. There’s a buck head hanging overhead. There are two saloon-style bathrooms, along with an ADA-approved one installed last year. The ceiling is virtually covered, as is tradition at the Hole, with dollar bills. They also added a wooden walkway porch and restored the outside by stripping off five layers of paint to get to the original redwood – all in an effort to make it resemble, as close as possible, the original establishment.
And while it’s a place that celebrates roots, the town’s people, those locals have the opportunity to make their mark on The 19th Hole, too. The business hosted a porch branding in the fall – they invited locals to bring their own cattle brands out and burn them into the wood – and plan to host another soon, probably in April, Castillo said.
“That was a fun event,” she said.
The 19th Hole is open at 4 p.m. Thursdays and noon on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Spirit unbroken
Hauge named several small business owners he knew who were grappling with layoffs, huge loans to stay afloat or closing altogether.
Yet the spirit of the small business owner is not broken. People with bright ideas and the guts and gusto to keep the economy strong.
“If one word could sum up California´s small business owners it would be resilient,” Hauge said. “Natural disasters, economic crisis, government regulations and taxes cannot stand in the way of California´s small businesses providing goods and services to their customers.
“That’s going to be the savior of this economy: small business owners and entreupreuners are going to be the ones that are going to bring the economy back and create the jobs of the future.”
