A wrecking crew from Randazzo demolishes the Taqueria Mi Tierra restaurant on Freedom Boulevard Monday. The historic building was once and A&W drive-in, then a string of other restaurants. Plans now are in place for a new drive-thru Starbucks. (Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian)

A piece of Watsonville’s history was torn to the ground Monday as a wrecking crew demolished the Taqueria Mi Tierra restaurant on Freedom Boulevard. 

The building was once a popular A&W drive-in restaurant, Rosa’s Mexican restaurant and Mi Tierra until they closed last year. 

The A&W restaurant is shown on Freedom Boulevard in the early 1960s. (photo courtesy Pajaro Valley Historical Association)

Plans now call for a new drive-thru Starbucks in the same shopping center shared by Vallarta Supermarket, Walgreen’s, Ace Hardware, Jack In the Box and others.

The Watsonville Planning Commission voted to approve the plan to demolish the 1,488-square-foot building at 1726 Freedom Blvd. and replace it with a drive-thru-only, 1,119-square-foot Starbucks. 

Watsonville native Kim Vestal said she remembers hearing teenagers talk about cruising between A&W and the Regal gas station on lower Main Street near the Pajaro bridge. 

“People would go to A&W before or after a movie at the Starlite Drive-in after the beach, or after a day at Pinto Lake, or after a day of shopping at Ford’s department store,” Vestal said. “The only other burger joints that I remember were Roy’s, Snow White and Fosters Freeze.”

According to plans submitted to the city by architectural firm GreenbergFarrow, the drive-thru Starbucks facility will include a walk-up window and a 200-square-foot patio area. There will be no indoor seating or a cafe like other Starbucks locations have.

Fernando Muñoz noted that his family’s other Taqueria Mi Tierra restaurant, 1471 Freedom Blvd., is in full operation.  

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Tarmo Hannula has been the lead photographer with The Pajaronian newspaper in Watsonville since 1997. More recently Good Times & Press Banner. He also reports on a wide range of topics, including police, fire, environment, schools, the arts and events. A fifth generation Californian, Tarmo was born in the Mother Lode of the Sierra (Columbia) and has lived in Santa Cruz County since the late 1970s. He earned a BA from UC Santa Cruz and has traveled to 33 countries.

7 COMMENTS

      • At your house keeping you company. Your mom needs help wiping your butt because you can’t handle it.

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    • With this new one, Watsonville will have 6 Starbucks. I don’t get coffee there due to them being anti union busters and their coffee is shitty and expensive. How much $ does City of Watsonville get in kickbacks from Starbucks Corp?

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  1. Like Watsonville needed another Starbucks. Bring new businesses and retail stores stop supporting these chains. Support the smaller coffee businesses like Coffeville on East Lake shopping center.

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  2. I would support a smaller coffee establishment if it moved there. That happens to be a very convenient spot. Thats why Starbucks is huge. They dont pass up good opportunities, and obviously we dont have enough of them because there’s always a line at every drive through.

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