Posted on 02/12/2024 12:37:15 PM PST by nickcarraway
The iconic Garlic Shoppe in Gilroy is being forced to say goodbye to its original store and pack up and leave. The landmark store is best known for selling everything from garlic and spices to jams, sauces, and even garlic ice cream.
"Very depressing, we've been here for 39 years. Alex is 62, and I'm 63. We are planning to retire a few years...now we have to basically start all over again," Charlie Larson, co-owner of Garlic Shoppe, said.
Located at the intersection of two of the busiest highways in the area, highway 101 and State Route 25, the shop is recognizable to thousands who travel the route.
Garlic Shoppe owners Alex Larson and his brother Charlie say they have just days to move, as the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Agency acquired their property under eminent domain to build a brand new intersection.
"People are concerned that another small business, mom-and-pop or brothers' business is being swallowed up by the government," Alex Larson said.
The current intersection is over 30 years old, and according to the transportation agency, it does not meet growing traffic demands and is a safety hazard with higher-than-average crashes.
"Every year, there seems to be a little more traffic. A lot of people are moving south into the area; home values are less, so we're attracting a lot more residents," Dianne Steiner, a resident of Gilroy, said.
Recommended The 49ers get tricky to score the 1st touchdown of Super Bowl 58 The nearly $140 million project will replace Highway 25's two-lane overcrossing with a four-lane overcrossing over Highway 101, increase the length of Highway 101 off-ramp, and add upgrades like new traffic signals and bike lanes.
For some, the improvements are long overdue, but those improvements come with a cost.
"Two ways, it's a little sad that they're moving. It's an iconic structure with wonderful spices, but on the other hand, traffic on 101 has just escalated so much," Steiner said.
The Garlic Shoppe says they are closing the doors at the location starting on Monday but are moving to their sister winery, Rapazzini Winery, just down the street. They plan to sell their Garlic Shoppe products there until the end of the year to buy them time to find another permanent location.
My uncle used to eat handfuls of garlic for the health benefits.
You could smell him from the next room. Whoa!
I prefer pork ice cream.
Indeed. So is the gator. Tastes like chicken.
If this is the right location, garlic fries were great also! No colds for a year after eating them, LOL!!
My grandfather ate a clove of garlic daily from my grandmother’s pickles. He was never sick. As a barber, one of his friends convinced him it was bad for him. My grandfather took note and stopped eating it. He got the flu and was in the hospital for three days. Began eating garlic again, never was sick again. Went to feed the cows one morning and laid down taking his last breath at almost 87 years old.
“Garlic Shoppe owners Alex Larson and his brother Charlie say they have just days to move, as the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Agency acquired their property under eminent domain to build a brand new intersection.”
This is so unlikely. More likely is they learned of the Eminent Domain a year and a half ago and have done nothing about it. Transit agencies move very, very slowly.
I didn’t think there were still at-grade intersections on 101 between Gilroy and Santa Barbara but haven’t taken that route since 1975. Why upgrade anything on 101 anymore? Shouldn’t the high speed train reduce traffic? 🙄
Used to tailgate with one of the Christopher family at Stanford football games (Taylor grove). Awesome BBQ.
Remember passing that store on the way to Ft Hungry Lizard. It saddens me to see it going but it actually appears that eminent domain is being correctly used. Hope the owners got just compensation.
Nothing like an all powerful government taking away everything you have worked to build, by force. 🙄
Didn’t happen that way at all.
Believe me, these guys are happy....
My wife is a great amateur chef and keeps both white heads of Garlic and Purple heads of Garlic handy.
She stores the heads in a big wooden salad bowl covered with an inverted funnel over each head.
She separates a clove or more when she is prepping dinner.
Then, she separates the skin and uses the flat side of her chef’s knife to smash each clove before using them on a wooden cutting board.
If she uses olive oil, the Costco Virgin Olive oil is her standard if she doesn’t have any donated and raised olive oil from some friends’ home grown Olives.
Why are they happy? They had a bad deal? Eminent domain doesn’t usually make people happy.
I’ll tell you about it privately sometime.
I’ve known these guys for years...
LOS ANGELES has the Olympics-—I think in 2026..
Anyway—THEY PULLED EMINENT DOMAIN ON ACRES & ACRES OF BUSINESSES/Homes NE of intersection of 405/101.
THE LAND WILL BE USED FOR “BUS STAGING for the Olympics”
After that-—THEN WHAT????
I know one racing engine shop that had been there for YEARS-—THEY had to dismantle & move everything.
(Trust no one, who is not a proven and valued/trusty one or a family member or a long time friend! )
I used to have a coffee cup that read: Trust your Mother but cut the cards!
My mother and her 3 maternal sisters were Bridge Addicts and as widows in their 80’s, they often got together for 2-3 days/evenings of nonstop bridge playing.
Their favorite bridge joke was: “We knew and loved your/our Mother! Now just cut the damn cards!”
A female first cousin, also, in her 80’s was often, the potty break and food break substitute queen.
They got what it takes to take what you got.
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