Hampton Inn opens in Watsonville
WATSONVILLE—A project seven years in the making, the 112-room Hampton Inn & Suites opened its doors Monday morning on Lee Road in Watsonville.
The four-story hotel flanks a new Starbucks coffee house and a newly opened Arco gas station and AM/PM mini market, all under...
REI to open new store in Santa Cruz
SANTA CRUZ—REI, an outdoor retail business with 168 stores in 39 states, plans to open a location in Santa Cruz, the company announced on Feb. 18.
The 22,622-square-foot store will be located at 1660 Commercial Way, the giant warehouse that formerly held Toys “R” Us....
Small businesses holding steady through pandemic, local fires
WATSONVILLE—First came the coronavirus in March and then the fires and smoke in August. While the CZU August Lightning Complex fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains is 100% contained, the Covid-19 pandemic continues.
What have the dual disasters meant for Watsonville’s local businesses? So far,...
Roaring Camp takes over Watsonville freight service
WATSONVILLE—Roaring Camp Railroads has struck a deal with Progressive Rail to provide freight services for Watsonville businesses.
Santa Cruz Big Trees and Pacific Railway, a subsidiary of Roaring Camp, announced the deal on April 30 in a press release.
Roaring Camp CEO Melani Clark said the...
Following 2019 fire, The Hideout reopens
APTOS—Almost two years after a fire, The Hideout restaurant in Aptos is back up to speed with a slightly expanded building, modern upgrades and nearly a full menu.
The popular eatery reopened March 22. It underwent a major demolition and rebuild following the May 2019...
Central Coast untouched in Newsom’s clampdown on bars, restaurants
SACRAMENTO—California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday ordered bars and restaurants in 19 counties to close their indoor dining options for at least three weeks, as the state faces increasing cases of Covid-19 and residents plan for the busy July 4 weekend.
The state saw 5,898...
EcoFarm bus tour rolling through Pajaro Valley
WATSONVILLE—Three organic Pajaro Valley farms will be featured in the 2020 EcoFarm Conference bus tour Wednesday—and a handful of seats are still available. Participants will visit Lakeside Organic Gardens, JSM Organics and Coastal Sun Cannabis/Moon Berry Farm during the tour, which kicks off the...
Phil’s Fish Market reopens and thrives
CASTROVILLE—Six months after moving from its iconic Moss Landing location, Phil’s Fish Market reopened in its new location in the heart of Castroville.
The restaurant has gained a large following of loyal customers and an international reputation for its seafood dishes, most notably the cioppino—a...
Corralitos Coffeehouse moving into vacant Second Street cafe
By Abigail Acosta, Special to the Pajaronian
WATSONVILLE—The owners of Corralitos Coffeehouse will be closing their doors in Corralitos on Aug. 22 and moving their operations to downtown Watsonville.
Greg Bobeda and Lacey Dent will take over the location formerly occupied by Second Street Cafe between...
New laundromat opens in East Lake Village
A new laundromat has opened in the East Lake Village Shopping Center.
Owner Robert Ruiz said Laundry Room features 30 driers and 35 heavy-duty washing machines that can handle from two to eight loads (80 pounds) of wash.
The 2,000-square-foot facility, which replaces a former laundromat...
Man arrested after trying to kidnap girl
A Castroville man is facing kidnapping charges after he allegedly grabbed a 10-year-old girl who was walking home Friday.
Salvador Hernandez-Saldivar, 61, was charged with...