Pine Cone Closing

[Tars]

Just heard it through the Sebastopol wisecracker line that the Pine Cone Restaurant in downtown Sebastopol is going out of business. This restaurant has been serving breakfasts and lunches at that same location for over 50 years. This info comes from sources very close to the ownership of the restaurant. They wouldn't give an exact date, but said it would be "around Christmas".

Seems the owner intends to refurbish the space and sell or lease it out. Watch out for yet another trendy-gifty boutique...oh boy, just what we need. Bonus bummer points for no more traditional food in that whole area of town.

If you're a customer, or know the folks associated with the Pine Cone, best to stop in sooner than later to say G'bye.

It will be missed.

[shellebelle]

I'm new to the area but tell me about this place. I've never seen it. Am I missing an off beat path that has real food?

[Zeno Swijtink]

Seems the owner [of the Pine Cone Restaurant] intends to refurbish the space and sell or lease it out. Watch out for yet another trendy-gifty boutique...oh boy, just what we need. Bonus bummer points for no more traditional food in that whole area of town.

Your observation reminded me of this PD article about the Windsor "Town Green's" which is hampered by a lack of real stores that people need daily.

What stores do we like to see on Main Street?

(shellebelle, this is 162 North Main, left of the Sebastopol Cookie Company)

Zeno

https://www1.pressdemocrat.com/artic...04/1033/NEWS01

A tale of two Windsors
For all its charm, new downtown lacks services found on other side of freeway
By CLARK MASON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Holly Locke lives less than half a mile away from the shops at Windsor's Town Green Village, but about the only time she goes there is to walk her dog on the grassy plaza.

"I've never been into any of the businesses. None of them interests me," she said as she dashed into a supermarket on the other side of town for a loaf of bread.

Locke doesn't have anything against the Town Green, the mix of specialty stores, restaurants and town houses scattered around Windsor's new plaza.

In fact, she likes the way it looks and believes it gives the town of 26,000 population something to be proud of.

"I'm really glad they've done something with that," she said. "It's new, it's different, it's nice."

But with the proliferation of "for lease" signs and empty storefronts around the Town Green this year, Windsor officials and others are scrutinizing what is missing and what it will take to get people such as Locke to shop there more often.

Currently, there are a half-dozen vacant or closed businesses, some of them prominently located among approximately 65 storefronts sprinkled around the green.

The Town Green has shops that specialize in everything from beads to needlepoint, candles, lingerie, children's shoes and maps. But residents say it lacks the everyday necessities they can find more easily and conveniently on the east side of Highway 101.

There, in close proximity to each other, are two major grocery stores, Safeway and Raley's, along with Longs Drugs. There are banks and ATMs, which the Town Green lacks. There is a post office, a Taco Bell and Carl's Jr.

There are also plenty of Middle-America-type franchises, from Subway sandwiches, to Papa Murphy's pizza and Baskin-Robbins ice cream. There's a Blockbuster video store, a Radio Shack and a place for a quick haircut.

Sprinkled among those are dental offices, laundry and dry-cleaning services, a health club, a veterinary office and insurance and tax services.

It may not be everyone's favorite type of commercial development, but it draws more cars and shoppers than the Town Green with its stores, restaurants and offices.

"Easier to get to"

"This looks like big-box-city Windsor," Kay Marquez said as she waited for her take-out order outside a Chinese restaurant next to Raley's.

"Over there is quaint Windsor," she said of the Town Green.

Marquez, a real estate agent who has lived on the west side of Windsor since 2002, said she shops on the east side of Highway 101 because "it's easier to get to restaurants and order to go."

Plus, she said, "I do my grocery shopping, and my bank is over here."

She said the Town Green needs a grocery store, although she sometimes gets "odds and ends," such as a jar of mayonnaise, at Pohley's Market on Windsor River Road.

Jim Finan, a retired Windsor accountant, said he couldn't remember the last time he went to the Town Green, before offering: "Oh yeah, about a month ago. I ate at one of the restaurants."

"Obviously I'm here all the time because of the supermarket and the post office," he said, before heading into Raley's.

Charles Jewett, a retired computer consultant, was doing some banking on the east side of town but said he likes going to the Town Green for coffee and to get his prescriptions filled at the compounding pharmacy.

"I've been going over there quite a bit lately. I got my glasses fixed over there," he said, referring to the Town Green optometrist.

But he said specialty stores on the Town Green that sell things such as doll clothes or children's books are going to find it tougher to stay in business.

One of the stores that is closing in Town Green Village after a two-year run is Viziare, which sells custom gift baskets of wine and specialty foods.

"I'm in a spot where I don't get traffic," store owner Liz Padilla said. "We're the last seen and the last heard of because we're off the Green."

Padilla, who said she is also retiring due to a disability, said her business steadily declined over the past 13 months to the point she can't afford to stay open and pay her store manager.

She agreed the Town Green needs some major tenants to draw more shoppers.

"It's a great town. It has a lot of potential. It's true we need some anchors," she said.

Anchor tenants such as Walgreens, a Barnes & Noble bookstore or even a movie theater would help drive traffic, the locals say.

In search of grocery chain

"We're actively recruiting businesses," said Town Green developer Orin Thiessen, who also said the owner of a 3-acre parcel near McDonald's is talking to the grocery store chain Fresh & Easy to build there.

Town officials have been reaching out, too, trying to lure Trader Joe's, Whole Foods or other grocery chains to locate in the building facing the Town Green that is being vacated by Windsor Vineyards.

"We've been begging Trader Joe's to go into Windsor Vineyards, almost to the point of harassment," said Town Councilwoman Debora Fudge, adding that the grocery chain has resisted because its store in north Santa Rosa is relatively close and already draws Windsor residents.

Thiessen said the Town Green's growing pains stem from the initial policy to forego national chains in favor of independent stores, which are mostly niche-oriented, mom-and-pop operations.

"If we learned anything after seven years of planning and building this, we probably should have had an anchor to begin with, instead of late in the game," Thiessen said. "We've all gone through the same learning curve. We realize we need larger stores to get foot-traffic up."

From burgers to wine bar

Thiessen and Windsor officials rattle off a lot of changes that bode well for the Town Green, in spite of the downturn in the economy that creates a challenging business climate.

Starbucks is "99 percent" there, according to Thiessen, about to commit to locating in a prominent spot where a news/magazine shop and art gallery used to be.

Omelette Express, the popular Railroad Square restaurant in Santa Rosa, just opened a second location on Windsor River Road, joining a growing list of eateries around the green.

While it may not yet rival Healdsburg on the culinary map, Windsor's Town Green has some well reviewed, white-linen restaurants offering French, Asian and other cuisine.

There is also a wine bar, a pub, a cafe and other places on the Green with more family-oriented fare offering pizza, burgers and Mexican food.

"Juice Shack was in yesterday looking. A sandwich shop chain is getting close," Thiessen said. "There's really a lot of activity."

When it comes to food, there seem to be plenty of options. And people can indulge their candy craving at Powell's Sweet Shoppe, which occupies a prominent spot and always seems to draw plenty of customers, no matter the time of day.

You can reach Staff Writer Clark Mason at 521-5214 or
[email protected].
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[shellebelle]

Thanks - I've got to stop in.

Bakery by the way; for what to see; like the one in Freestone. Wood fire, smells wonderful and great breads. A feast for the senses!

Something safe to take my son into without fear of breakage would also be good. I can't do a lot of shopping unless I plan a trip without him. Its one of the draws of the Farmers Market. Which brings to mind how about an indoor farmers market - like a food craft show?

Your observation reminded me of this PD article about the Windsor "Town Green's" which is hampered by a lack of real stores that people need daily....