Gilroy
– The corner coffee shop frequented by local politicians,
college students, and a multitude of long-time residents will soon
have a new name, but the casual and friendly atmosphere will
remain, according to new owner Sue Shalit.
Gilroy – The corner coffee shop frequented by local politicians, college students, and a multitude of long-time residents will soon have a new name, but the casual and friendly atmosphere will remain, according to new owner Sue Shalit.
“I fell in love with it,” said Shalit, who purchased Garlic City Coffee and Tea on April 14. “It’s charming and Gilroy’s a great place. It has a lot of potential in the downtown area.”
Soon the shop’s trademark garlic bulb will be replaced by a logo bearing the store’s new name – “Sue’s Coffee Roasting Company.”
In addition to the logo, Shalit hopes to change a few things inside the shop, at the corner of Fifth and Monterey streets. Her list of ideas include displaying local artwork, providing wireless Internet service, and reconfiguring seating to perhaps include bar stools and a church-type pew along the wall.
The coffee shop has a simple appeal for City Administrator Jay Baksa, whose City Hall office lies a few blocks away.
“It’s close,” Baksa said, adding that he’ll return “as long as they keep making good coffee.”
Coffee lovers will enjoy focus on organic, fair trade beans, which she hopes to highlight among the stores offerings.
While Shalit plans to “evaluate menu changes” to increase afternoon and evening crowds, she will keep one part of the day constant.
“The morning thing is really the bread and butter of the company at this point,” she said. “Everybody’s comfortable here and it will remain the same.”
It’s no accident the store has attracted a faithful group of customers over the years, according to Nick Loquiao, who began working at the shop a few weeks ago.
He said the employee manual stresses the importance of learning names and faces, and the drinks people like.
“There are people who come here when specific baristas are working,” he said. “We’ve had regulars coming here for 12 years now. There’s something about this place that keeps the regulars coming, versus going to a Starbucks.”
Jan Paterson, a regular in the summer time, said she keeps coming back because “the coffee’s good and the people are friendly. You see a lot of your friends here.”
Shalit, who plans to remain open while getting her new business in order, seems to understand that concept.
“We didn’t close down at all and I’m proud of that because I didn’t want to affect any of the regulars,” she said. “They’re very, very important to me.”
