Saratoga News

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Benches are just one of the signs of renewed vigor at the Quito Village shopping center.

Improvements at Quito help extend Village feel

By John Pancharian

Merchants at Saratoga's Quito Center are hoping that the center's new look and old-fashioned customer service will attract people away from the malls to their businesses.

Unless one shops there regularly, the Quito Center is easy to overlook. Located on the 18000 block of Cox Avenue, the center is invisible from the closest major intersection at Saratoga Avenue and has not always been much to look at, anyway.

While Silicon Valley began to boom in the '80s, and national outlets popped up everywhere clamoring for a cut of the new money, the Quito Center found itself forgotten by many customers.

The center also suffered from a degree of neglect by the previous property managers. Though there were no glaring problems, the center had a number of vacancies and began to look run-down and dingy, which only added to the feel that it had become a stagnant pool aside the rushing new computer economy.

But things began to break loose two years ago when the property managers changed. Pat Andreson, co-owner of Backyard Pool Center, said meetings sponsored by the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce spurred some of the merchants to get together and talk about how to improve the center. They met with a design company hired by the new managers, Western Investment Management, and began a two-year process of change and revitalization.

"I think the difference in the past two years with the new management is--No. 1-- the signage," said Andreson of the new, uniform signs that now hang in front of Quito stores.

But changes in the look and signs at Quito have not necessarily meant a change in the bottom line. Owners of Kelly's Liquors, Fernwood Florist, Gene's Market and Andreson herself all said that they have not noticed an upturn in sales attributable to the new look. "Things might be up a little bit," said Kelly's owner, Steve Kelly, "but I don't know if it's the changes." Mike Ibanez, manager of 24-Hour Fitness, said he had noticed a 3 or 4 percent increase in business that may be attributable in part to improvements in the center's look.

The concensus seems to be that the changes in ambiance are felt in ways other than the bottom line.

"We've tried to extend the Village feel out to Quito," Charles Marsh, president of Western Investment, said. He explained that the landscaping, new paint and benches are an important face lift but also serve to create the right ambiance. He said Quito merchants compete with larger chain-dominated shopping centers by filling the niche left vacant by them--human contact.

"People come here, I believe, because of the personal touch [we] offer. It's easy to compete with national chains by offering something more, and often that is the personal touch. You can walk into one of these stores and talk to the owner." Marsh said the relationship customers develop with small-store owners is often what brings them back.

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