Owner Louie Kalivitis, a native of Greece, sells restaurant
after almost two years in Gilroy
Gilroy – Harvest Time, one of Gilroy’s oldest restaurants, will keep its name but gain a distinctly Italian flavor when it changes hands this month.
Chef Angelo Romano Sr., a 23-veteran of the restaurant industry, said the menu will retain its American and Mediterranean core while adding a host of new Italian dishes, including chicken picata. He also plans to offer wines from area vintner Fortino Winery, add a bar and children’s menu, and offer free Internet access in coming months.
Romano said he and partner Adalberto Gonzalez purchased the restaurant business, facing Old City Hill at Sixth and Monterey streets, for $150,000 from current owner Louie Kalivitis.
The native of Greece said that back problems have led him to close his doors after 21 months in Gilroy and more than 40 years in the restaurant business.
“I’m tired,” admitted Kalivitis, now 66. “My back kills. I do the cooking, the dishwashing. When you’re the owner, you do everything.”
Kalivitis started in the restaurant business as a a dishwasher in 1964.
“I couldn’t speak any English when I came to this country,” he said. “This if my fourth business, and every one of them did OK … The customers – my friends – I appreciate them very much. They’ve been very very good to me. I love Gilroy.”
The Harvest Time restaurant first opened in Gilroy in 1922 as the street-level dining area for the Milias Hotel, a a popular stop for travelers along Highway 101, according to Gilroy Museum Coordinator Lucy Solorzano. The Milias Restaurant and Steakhouse Restaurant changed its name to Harvest Time in 1964.
The downtown area has seen a series of restaurants come and go in recent years. Across the street from the Harvest Time, Old City Hall restaurant shut its doors in December 2004 and is now tied up in bankruptcy court. A new owner plans to open a Mexican restaurant with a jungle theme by the end of the month.
Mayor Al Pinheiro, one of Harvest Time’s many regulars, welcomed the new additions to the city’s downtown as the area undergoes major revitalization efforts.
“I wish whoever comes in the best,” he said. “They’re coming in at a time that I think is going to be crucial to the downtown. The more restaurants the merrier.”
Romano expects to take over ownership of Harvest Time on Dec. 20.
