GILROY
– The Happy Dog Pizza Co. and classic rock station 107.7 The
Bone will join forces Friday in an effort to spread the word about
local businesses.
GILROY – The Happy Dog Pizza Co. and classic rock station 107.7 The Bone will join forces Friday in an effort to spread the word about local businesses.
Radio personality Steven Seaweed will broadcast live from the restaurant from noon to 6 p.m. The event is part of the station’s Bone Home Town program which visits downtowns throughout the Bay Area to promote local businesses.
Happy Dog Pizza owner Steve Gearing is excited about the event hoping more than 200 people visit. He realizes the need for continuous publicity despite the fact that business has been great since the restaurant opened in February.
“The challenge is, it takes a lot for everyone to know we’re here,” Gearing said. “People need to find out about the downtown. There are some nice places down here to go eat,” he said. The Bone will mention businesses that donate prizes on the air throughout the broadcast.
To give the event a street party atmosphere, Fifth Street will be blocked off from Monterey to Eigleberry Street and the Bone’s tent will be set up in front of the restaurant. Guests will have the chance to win the donated prizes by trying their luck in the “Bon-i-fide Garlic Toss”. All proceeds from the game tickets will benefit St. Joseph’s Family Center.
Guests can also take a break from the broadcast to enjoy live tunes from Gilroy bands The Tangerine Machine and JJ Hawg. The Tangerine Machine was the house band at the former Station 55 restaurant.
“They’ve played here a couple times and we would love to have them here more often,” Gearing said.
With plans to have music and food to last into the evening, Gearing hopes this will lead to future downtown events.
“I would like to evolve this into a Friday night summer event where people of Gilroy can see live music and have a nice Friday night. I want to call it ‘Fifth Street Live’,” Gearing said.
The Downtown Association also brainstormed ideas for future events at their last meeting said Susan Valenta, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce.
If the Happy Dog event draws a crowd and there is interest in similar community events, there will be motivation to expand upon this event she said.
“We’re really happy to show off downtown,” Valenta said. ”It’ll be good for Happy Dog and for other businesses. And it’s just going to be fun.”
Happy Dog Pizza is located at 55 Fifth St.
