Hollister
– Local night life just got a little more exciting.
Hollister – Local night life just got a little more exciting.
Two new bars opened in downtown Hollister in late March. The owners of both businesses promised to bring something new to the local scene, and both are already attracting crowds.
In fact, Larry Otis, who owns with the Broken Wing at 500 San Benito St. with his wife Julia, said he had to turn people away on Friday night.
“I’m the new flavor right now,” Otis said. “I anticipate this kind of volume is going to taper off a bit.”
Otis acknowledged that the operation still has some kinks to work out – primarily, how to provide prompt service when the crowds get too big.
“I feel terrible that people had to wait,” Otis said.
Still, he acknowledged that crowds are a good problem to have. The turnout backed Otis’ belief that the Broken Wing – with its modern, more spacious facilities – can fill a different niche than Johnny’s and Whiskey Creek, Hollister’s longtime biker bars.
Attendance on Friday and Saturday nights was also boosted by the presence of live bands, a practice that Otis hopes to continue.
The attractions at Cheap Seats Pub and Grub, on the other hand, are its 13 plasma televisions. Those TVs will give patrons front-row seats to professional basketball games, football games and more.
“We’ve never had anything like this in town,” co-owner Rick Hernandez said.
Hernandez is committed to giving his customers that stadium atmosphere right here in downtown Hollister, and that includes the food he’s serving – hamburgers, hot dogs, nachos and other staples.
“We try to keep it to a sporting event menu, like you were going to a game,” Hernandez said.
Cheap Seats is located at 427 San Benito St.
New Antique Store Offers Shoppers a Little Bit of Everything
Home Expressions and Antiques Consignment, which opened its doors at 355 San Benito St. in February, has a mascot befitting an antique store – a massive, metal rooster that guards the store’s entrance.
“We get five or 10 phone calls a day asking how much he costs,” said co-owner Katja Acosta. “He’s $600, so people have to think twice. I think he’ll probably be out there for a while.”
But if Acosta has her way, the rooster is the only thing that’s going to be sticking around. Acosta said the store offers “a little bit of everything” – from candles to jewelry to cabinets – at affordable prices.
“My goal is to always bring in new things,” she said. “I don’t want things to just sit here.”
Local Man Appointed Chief Credit Officer at Regional Bank
Robert C. Blatter, who lives in Hollister with his wife and two daughters, recently joined Pinnacle Bank as its executive vice president and chief credit officer.
“We’re very pleased to have Robert on board,” said bank president David Funkhouser. “His experience in being a credit administrator adds a big piece to the bank.”
Pinnacle Bank opened in July of 2006. Pinnacle is a full-service bank, but Funkhouser said its focus is on small to medium-sized businesses. And although the bank’s two branches are in Gilroy and Morgan Hill, Funkhouser said that remote deposit technology allows Pinnacle to serve customers “from King City to San Jose,” including businesses in San Benito County.
In a statement released last week, Blatter said he’s excited to be part of “a locally owned and locally managed bank that believes in contributing to its community.”
Business Notebook is a new feature of the Free Lance that will appear every other Tuesday. If you have business news to share, contact reporter Anthony Ha at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or ah*@fr***********.com. Staff writer Michael Van Cassell contributed to this report.
