Head out Black Road to a small town tucked away between windswept, cowhide-brown hills. Take a right on Point Sal road and head down past the Hitching Post to the tree with a tire swing. Just to your right is the Casmalia General Store, and it’s ready for business.
The doors of the Casmalia General Store are open again thanks to a tenacious trio, which includes Norman Watt and Robin and Gene Gorley. They’re planning to have the grand opening sometime in November or December. For them, it’s not just a business opportunity; it’s a community enrichment opportunity.
“Lots of people in Casmalia don’t have transportation,” Robin said. “There’s no bus service. It’s five miles from here to Tanglewood.”
Residents have been voicing a need for the store, and they are happy to see that need being met. And adults aren’t the only ones hyped about the store.
“The kids love it because we have candy,” Robin said with a laugh.
You can imagine how nice it will be for residents to be able to head just down the street for a soda rather than burn a gallon of gas—or more calories than the soda is worth—hiking to the next town over for a drink.
Get a snack and sit on the log bench out front. Enjoy the cool breeze tempering the heat and watch the tire swing drift lazily. Let yourself drift back with it, back to when the store first opened in the “olden days,” when Casmalia’s population was almost 10 times what it is now. The general store wasn’t just a convenience then; it was a part of everyday life, but as the oil boom dwindled, so did the town. Norman and his gang are hoping to make the store part of that everyday life once again.
“The demand is for the quick-grab items: TV dinners, that kind of thing,” Robin explained.
But that’s not all it’s there for. The store will also be stocked with fresh meats and produce. The goal is to enable residents to do their shopping locally. Currently, with more bare space than product showing on their shelves, the owners know they have a ways to go stocking wise, but they do have the essentials. Coffee creamer, salad dressing and condiments, cans of soup and vegetables, and Cup Noodles are among some of their offerings. And, they have three different kinds of hot sauce.
Opening a business can be, well, risky business any place, but trying to do it in a town whose population would barely fill half of a 747 is even riskier. The team has gone into the venture optimistically, despite the fact that the store has been opened and closed several times in the past. It’s that kind of track record that has them more concerned with people knowing they’re there and open for business than pulling down the same sale numbers a large grocery store would. They are confident that Norman’s 22 years of experience with Food Maxx (formerly Food 4 Less) will give them the edge they need to stay.
For now, the building needs paint, and a new sign is on the way.
“We have a lot of things planned, but right now we are just getting our feet nice and wet,” Robin said.
They’re also working on acquiring a liquor license and are planning a farmers market to be held potentially on Saturday evenings to further increase the benefit to the local community.
As the sun goes down and the dreamcatchers hanging above the register cast creeping shadows in the fading light, the doors close, but it’s only for the night. Tomorrow they’ll be open again, and if Norman, Robin, and Gene have anything to say about it, they’ll be open the day after and the day after that … .
Find the Casmalia General Store at 3401 Point Sal Road in Casmalia. For more information, call 934-3013.
Highlights
• Jeff and Matt Nichols, owners of Brothers Restaurant at Mattei’s Tavern, have acquired the lease of the former Sidestreet Café in the Santa Ynez Valley.
The Nichols brothers are discussing what to do with the new location, 2375 Alamo Pintado Ave. in Los Olivos, and have scheduled the opening for fall 2011.
The brothers will continue to operate Brothers Restaurant at Mattei’s Tavern, where they’ve cooked for more than a half million people since 1996. The restaurant is at 2350 Railway Ave. in Los Olivos.
For more information, visit matteistavern.com.
Biz Spotlight was written and compiled by intern Michael McCone. Staff Writer Jeremy Thomas compiled the Highlights. Send ideas for consideration to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
This article appears in Aug 25 – Sep 1, 2011.