The Vineyard Center is located at the intersection of Hwy. 12 and Verano Ave. and is known for its blue roofs.
Ryan lely/Sonoma Valley Sun
With its distinctive blue roofs and its location at one of the busiest intersections in Sonoma, The Vineyard Center is a recognizable landmark to most residents of the Valley. Unlike other shopping centers in and around the town of Sonoma, the Vineyard Center has no major retailer or supermarket to draw people in daily. The shops, restaurants and businesses there all rely on an individual customer base that has little crossover. So it’s surprising to find that the center has maintained a steady and thriving tenant population since its opening in the mid-1980s.
The original owner, Herman Bauer, a Sonoma resident, was the kind of person who did business on a handshake. Eric Barker, who has had the Domino’s Pizza franchise at the center since 1988 said, “Herman stopped by often, and at one point, our lease was scheduled for renewal. He was at the restaurant, but we didn’t have the paperwork there, so he had me sign a napkin to renew and said he would get the forms to me later. He was that kind of guy.”
The story is echoed by Patrick Hoffmann, who with his wife, Barbie, owns Sonoma Taekwondo. “We’ve been here since 1989, and we only had one small space to begin with,” said Hoffmann. “We expanded two times, enlarging our space, and both times were agreed upon with a handshake.”
Dean Zellers, principal in Zellers Insurance at the center, has acted as on-site property manager for the past 10 years. “Herman realized that I was always at my office here, and asked if I would be interested in collecting rents and handling tenant issues when he was away. I took over those tasks and it’s been a fantastic situation for me because Herman was such a great guy to work with.”
When Bauer sold the center to a development company, Sequoia Land Investment, in 2000, Zellers continued in his role. “The new company has been very responsive and there’s no red tape to have to go through to get things done. If there’s a problem, it’s taken care of right away.”
The prompt response to tenants’ needs, and the fact that there is a reliable on-site manager, is one of the main reasons quoted by the businesses for staying put at the center. “During a bad winter storm a few years ago, we had flooding in our space,” said Patrick Hoffman of Sonoma Taekwondo. “The company took care of it quickly and we were back in business.”
Many of the tenants cite the location as ideal for their customers. At the intersection of Hwy. 12 and Verano Ave., it affords easy access from the entire Sonoma Valley.
“About 85 percent of our business is delivery, so for us, it’s perfect,” said Eric Barker of Domino’s Pizza. Daniel Miller, co-owner of Sonoma Vacuums, said, “We are the only vacuum sales and repair shop in Sonoma, so we get people coming from all parts of town. It’s easy for them to get here, and there’s plenty of parking.” Enterprise Rent-A-Car is based in the center for the ease of access and ample parking for its rental business. “We can get to anywhere from this location, whether it’s the Sonoma Mission Inn or Infineon, or any of the auto body shops in town, “said assistant manager Rebecca Huffaker.
Other businesses, such as the Vineyard Market benefit from the surrounding community as well. “We’ve only been here since 2006 but it’s been a good location for us,” said Karma Hansra. The family-run store carries “a little bit of everything,” and caters to the culturally diverse neighborhoods nearby.
The center itself is a potpourri of enterprises, and this harmonious mix of businesses, each generating its own clientele, seems to be a model that works.
(For information on the restaurants and bakeries in the center, please see Kathleen Hill’s article on places to eat in the Springs that ran in the Nov. 1 edition of the Sun; it can be found on the Web site, sonomasun.com.)
• Castalleno’s Jewelers
• Domino’s Pizza
• Econowash Wash & Fold
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car
• Golden Springs Mandarin
Restaurant
• Issa’s Restaurant
• Little Maya Bakery/
Pasteleria La Mixteca
• Sonoma Nails
• Sonoma Taekwondo
• Sonoma Vacuums
• Subway
• Sunset Salon
• Vineyard Market
• Zellers Insurance
Owners:
Sequoia Land Investment
415.331.3393
