Company works on sign design for new locale on west side of
street
Gilroy – Dominos Pizza plans to be the first national food chain to penetrate the city’s revitalizing downtown, though it remains to be seen just how noticeable its presence will be.
The pizza company is currently discussing the type of sign most appropriate for a renovated building at the gateway to the area, on the west side of Monterey Street facing the intersection with IOOF.
Planning for downtown has emphasized a revitalization based on niche and specialty stores, with a feel and look that stands in contrast to big box shopping in east Gilroy. Signage is a key component of maintaining a neighborhood feel in the city’s downtown, though Mayor Al Pinheiro said officials must not box themselves in as they seek to attract new businesses.
“(Any sign) has got to fit and we’ve got to work together and make sure we don’t have somebody come in and do whatever they want, and we have to adhere to what we as a community see as our vision,” he said. “We also need to be flexible and understand that in some cases, a brand is a brand, and people don’t recognize that brand unless they see a specific sign or logo.”
The typical blue, red and white Dominos sign comes in a multitude of styles that fill an entire binder, according to City Planning Manager Bill Faus. He said no final occupancy permit has been issued to the company and that the city is currently waiting to see the type of signage it proposes.
“Certainly aesthetics are one of the conditions that we look at,” Faus said. “Absolutely, we’ll be looking at building materials, the size of the sign, at illumination.”
Dominos representatives could not be reached by deadline.
The city already has about a dozen pizza chains, including Little Caesars, Pizza Hut and Round Table Pizza on First Street, and Chuck E. Cheese’s and Red Brick Pizza in the Pacheco Pass shopping centers. The area also has a handful of family pizzerias such as Pinocchio’s, with two locations on Monterey Street in the north of the city and downtown, and Happy Dog Pizza Company, in the heart of downtown on Fifth Street.
A string of empty storefronts remain in the downtown, though city officials have big hopes for the area as buildings are renovated and new development brings an influx of residents. More than 20 projects that combine street-level offices or stores and above-ground living units are being discussed for the area. In such an environment, Pinheiro sees room for both national chains and family-run businesses to co-exist.
“You go to some downtowns where you have national brands and some mom and pop stores,” he said. “Obviously you have to have a place for both. If it draws people to the downtown, it’s a good thing.”
