January 9, 2009

Local business: good, bad and the ugly

Melissa and Joe Sanfilippo are the new owners of Klondike Pizza and they are busily providing family fun with the food.

By Bill Highlander
Editor

The economic woes are hitting Evergreen as well the rest of the country, but the news is not all bad.

First, the good. Melissa and Joe Sanfilippo, are the new owners of Klondike Pizza and busily providing family fun with the food. The restaurant opened under new management in October after some renovation and the addition of new video games and jukebox.

Klondike Pizza is at 2850 Quimby Road, in a shopping center at the corner of Quimby and South White Road. On Mondays and Tuesday, the restaurant opens at 4 p.m. and at 11 a.m. Thursday through Sunday.

Vikram Singh, president of Sanram Petroleum, Inc, says his company has invested in remodeling Evergreen 76 and providing new services. The Evergreen 76 service station at the corner of Aborn Road and White is now more than just a refueling station, Evergreen 76 has a self-serve car wash with state-of-the-art equipment, convenience items and a Subway sandwich shop.

The Evergreen 76 service station at the corner of Aborn Road and White is now more than just a refueling station, with a self-serve car wash, convenience items and a Subway sandwich shop.

Singh says, “Evergreen residents needed a car wash facility and we are providing that with the best drive-through equipment.” The car wash has been operational for almost two months. Subway sandwiches will be available starting next Friday, says Singh. The station already offers beverages and snack items.

The economy was not good for Andiamo’s Italian Ristorante , located at the corner of San Filipe and Yuerba Buena. The owner, Bobby Parungao, closed the door on Dec. 29 after realizing that the business could not be tenable. He says the closing was a big disappointment because he had good friends and customers who were regulars. He has tried to help the employees find new jobs, but that is also a challenge. There is a possibility that another pizza place will move into the Andi-amo’s location.

Signs have also been taken off the Bakers Square restaurant on Capitol Expressway. Calls to the corporate offices have not yet been returned, but the parent company, VI-CORP, declared filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 in April 2008 and closed 56 restaurants at that time. The new closings are most likely part of the reorganization, but the ugly part is that the local stores shut the doors without a public announcement.

More business will probably close during the recession, but customers can help local businesses by shopping and dining in their favorite places.