BY NICK DIAMANTIDES
Staff Writer
After delays in the planning and building process, Bixby Point shopping center is finally up and running. Now two restaurants, a bank, a copy shop and a game store are open for business and new customers are drawn there every day. The 12,000-square-foot commercial/retail center on the southeast corner of Atlantic Avenue and Carson Street had been under construction since late 2007.
“We only have one vacant space left and we are working on leasing that,” said Mark Bolour, vice president of Bolour and Associates, the company that is developing the site. “Everyone is doing well. The most recent business to open is La Vineria Italiana and it has been packed every night.”
Ricardo Dal Santo, co-owner of La Vineria Italiana, agreed that the restaurant/wine bar has been very well received by the community. “It’s been fantastic,” he said. “We didn’t expect very many people in the beginning, but we have been very busy since the day we opened.”
“The difference between this restaurant and a classic Italian restaurant is that we don’t have many of the traditional items that Italian restaurants in America have,” he said. “We feel there are too many restaurants with the same items and we want to give our customers something different.”
He noted that the restaurant serves homemade pasta and unique recipes used by his family for many generations. “We have a very good brazato, which is flank steak stew in wine and catfish prepared with tomato sauce, lemon skin and rosemary,” Dal Santo said. “We use traditional recipes from northern Italy.”
Dal Santo, who acts as chef and manager, was born and raised in northern Italy and graduated from a culinary arts school there. “Too many restaurants compromise too much with American flavors and lose the authenticity of Italian cuisine,” he said. “We want to serve food that tastes like the food you would eat if you were in Italy.”
La Vineria Italiana also features a wide selection of Italian wines. “In Italy we have more than 200 kinds of grapes and we have many, many different wines,” Dal Santo said. “We believe Italian food goes best with Italian wine.” He noted that he, his partner and his wait staff are very knowledgeable in regard to which wines go best with certain meals and will be glad to make recommendations to customers. The restaurant is only open for dinner. It is open Tuesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The other restaurant, Sushi Boy, has been open for about a month. “People are finding out that we’re open and coming to eat here,” said Lek Prajamsri, general manager. “Business is getting better and better.” The Japanese eatery has an extensive menu featuring many varieties of seafood as well as beef and chicken dishes. The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sushi Boy’s grand opening is scheduled for Saturday, July 19. On that day all menu items will be discounted 50 percent.
Wachovia Financial Center opened on June 12 and according to its manager Alex Galarza, business is good and steadily increasing. “We’re getting a lot of positive feedback from the public,” he said. “They tell us they are very happy with our services.” Galarza said that many residents in the area are opening up accounts in the new bank. “A lot of them are taking advantage of our promotion that gives them $75 just for opening up a free checking account here,” he said. “The only requirement is that you complete 10 transactions within 60 days of the account being opened. Transactions could be deposits, withdrawals or using your ATM card to make purchases.” He added that the back also gives $25 to customers if they recommend the bank to someone else who opens an account. Wachovia has branches throughout the United States, with about 162 branches in California.
Galarza noted that the Bixby Point Wachovia is a “green building” made primarily from recycled materials and bamboo wood. He added that in order to reduce paper consumption the bank invites customers to opt to receive their statements through email instead of regular mail. “Customers who do that are entered into a drawing with a chance to win a hybrid vehicle,” he added.
“This is an awesome location. The community is really benefiting from Wachovia being here,” Galarza noted. “A lot of people in the area are dissatisfied with their current banking relationship and are looking for something that is more customer-service oriented. We are happy to provide that for them here.” He explained that Wachovia offers savings and checking accounts, CDs, loans, business accounts and other financial services. Galarza has been with Wachovia since September but has worked in the banking industry for seven years.
The managers of the other two Bixby Point stores— Game Stop and FedEx/Kinko’s— were not available for comment. “Both stores are doing good business, and they are pleased with the community response,” Bolour said. “The shopping center is working well, and we expect its volume of business to increase as more and more people find out about it.”
