JASON BANANIA

There’s a banner hanging above the front door of the Cornerstone Restaurant in Stowell Center Plaza. It reads, “World’s Best Hamburgers.” The title was given to the restaurant’s owners, Esther and Bong Kim, by their most important critics: their customers—two, to be exact. “Two weeks after our grand opening, there were two young guys who […]

There’s a new place in Nipomo for people to relax with a cup of coffee while they read a book, browse the web, or just hide out. The Hideout Coffee House is owned by Calvary Chapel in Nipomo, and according to Tom Bates—Hideout’s manager and youth pastor for the church—the shop’s main purpose is to […]

Skaters who get hassled for skating outside of the Santa Maria Town Center now have two options: leave the premises and search for another place to skate, or take it inside. One Way’s indoor skatepark is a 5,000-square-foot course filled with an assortment of ramps to launch from and rails to grind on. Three simple […]

Ice cream trucks are usually judged by what’s on the inside, but Sony and David’s (S&D’s) Mr. Nice Cream truck is an example of how looks can be important, too. “The main thing we wanted when we first started this was something different, not just your average ice cream truck,” said co-owner David Melena. “We […]

There’s always an excuse to skip on eating healthy. Kids moan that healthy foods don’t taste good, while adults complain they’re too expensive. Grocery Outlet is getting rid of those excuses—well, at least one of them. Owned and operated by the Donati family, Grocery Outlet in Santa Maria sells Godiva chocolates, Top Ramen, and kids’ […]

The local Hot Dog on a Stick is this week’s Biz Spotlight because, as perhaps the brightest food vendor in Santa Maria, it puts itself in its own spotlight daily. “The reason our lights are bright is because we put on a show,” said Crystal Moreno, a Hot Dog on a Stick employee. “Everything we […]