In the vibrant Southern California City of Vista, civic leaders, business owners and residents alike are hopeful and preparing for what could be a second “Roaring ‘20s” after the COVID-19 pandemic has eased.
The current global healthcare crisis has been likened to the deadly 1918 influenza epidemic, which was followed by a big uptick in sociability and commerce as people flocked to the streets, parties and concerts and the like.
Many of today’s global economists are predicting that humans’ yearning for socialization will indeed create a similar economic rebound. And, despite current financial hardship for many Americans, a recent UCLA Anderson forecast predicts mass vaccinations and a release of pent up demand will lead to a boom in economic activity beginning in the second quarter of 2021 and into 2022.
Shelly Ketner – who owns 508 Tavern, located at 508 S. Santa Fe Ave. in Downtown Vista with her husband Hector Estrada – is ready for the economic tides to turn, especially now that the City’s much-anticipated Paseo Santa Fe project is completed. Paseo Santa Fe encompasses the S. Santa Fe Avenue corridor between Vista Village Drive and Civic Center Drive. The City’s overall vision is to fill the area with retail/shops/restaurants topped with living spaces to revitalize the downtown area. Construction took place in three phases with the final completion in December 2020.
The improvements include landscaping, sidewalks, lighting, new sewer lines, storm drain facilities and water lines, while overhead utility lines were placed underground. The project also includes a total of three roundabouts and three sculptures created by local artists.
“Now that the Paseo Santa Fe section of the road is open and looking amazing, we can now count on the traffic exposure to help increase business,” Ketner said. “Anytime you have a successful Downtown area, often you can look around at the aesthetics and functionality of the roads, sidewalks and parking availability. Our locals need to feel safe while walking from shop to shop. They need clean direct roads that draw attention and desire to the area with accommodating parking to help aid potential customers to store fronts. I believe Vista is well on its way to developing a very successful Downtown area with improvements that meet these needs.”
She is also hopeful that by the time the pandemic has eased and is under control, surrounding developments such as Terrace Lofts will be close to completion and foot traffic from new neighbors will increase. Terrace Lofts, located on S. Santa Fe Ave. within Vista’s Opportunity Zone, is a unique and artsy five-story, 42-unit apartment project whose construction is expected to be completed in the third quarter 2021. The primary goal of the project is to anchor the Downtown Vista Arts and Culture District. All units will have higher ceilings, lots of natural light and large outdoor terraces. The project will include a rooftop deck with a fire pit and a living plant wall and a ‘Makers Garage’ outfitted with a workbench and tools for the tenants to use to wrench on bikes, assemble furniture, etc… , as well as 14,000 square feet of landscaping that can be seen from the street to beautify the corridor.
“From movies I’ve seen about the ‘Roaring 20’s’ it’s exciting to think that this could be us after the pandemic. With how far we come in a century, I hope we can surpass the ‘Roaring 20’s’ and the next few years take off even further and better than any of us could have anticipated,” Ketner said.
Until then, she said 508 Tavern will continue to pivot the best it can to stay afloat. Even though the tavern’s original business model was never designed around high volume of takeout food, Ketner and her crew have been learning to adjust and have been doing more takeout food and beer and wine than ever.
“Now that we are going on 10 months of this pandemic and learning to pivot on dime, business for 508 has been as steady as we could hope for. Our customers have gone above and beyond to continuously support us to help get us through all of this,” she said. “I think the best pivot we’ve done was keeping our Taco Tuesdays going with the taco platters we offer. They are a local favorite deal that have kept us on our feet for sure. The added ability to sell growlers to go is another stream of revenue that has helped along the way.”
Ketner said the City of Vista has also been a big help in supporting local businesses such as hers. “I appreciate the City of Vista’s support in trying to be innovative with different marketing ideas, such as Vista Bucks and Vista is Open and the process for the outside/curbside dining; they were very flexible and helpful. For our community to continually shop local helps us and everyone here in Vista.”
Ketner and her husband opened 508 Tavern in May 2017 after both spent several years in the food and beverage industry. Wanting to bring something quaint and personable to Ketner’s hometown, together they crafted the comfort-food based menu with dishes they both grew up enjoying. With a shared love of craft beer, their 12 taps are in a constant rotation of local brews as well as selections from afar.
“My favorite part of where we’re located, being set on S. Santa Fe in the newly revitalized area, is my memory of what it was long before what it is now,” Ketner said. “Growing up in Vista this stretch of street wasn’t a place that caught many people’s eye. The road was run down and abandoned buildings. Change can often bring hesitation and fear, but for us, we’ve tried to embrace it and become a part of a more positive neighborhood we can all be proud of.”
Meanwhile, Lisa Dejú, co-owner of Guadalupe Brewery Tap House on S. Santa Fe, is focused on getting her business and employees through this difficult time, while hoping and planning for better times ahead.
“Business has been difficult, as you can imagine,” said Dejú who, along with her husband and brew master Raúl Dejú, opened their tap house in Vista in 2019. “Our business is going to stay open through this next period, and we have been continuing to work with our food partners to give them a location to serve food to-go as well as our beer to-go. We’re promoting the best we can, but sales are definitely down just from a couple months ago when we were able to serve outdoors.”
Luckily, the couple has another side of their business – a home brew supply store in Carlsbad – which has been able to keep them going, Dejú said. “Because that location sells ingredients and equipment not readily available through normal markets, we’ve been able to work as ‘essential’ with fairly strict curb-side delivery to maintain some revenue.”
She said support from the community as well as the City of Vista has been tremendous.
“We feel very supported by the City all along, as we went through the remodel process with our building. Everyone from Economic Development to City leadership have been very supportive and welcoming of our business to Downtown,” Dejú said. “ I’m on an Advisory Board with the City to help promote all of Downtown Vista, so I really see work that’s being done on a regular basis to help support all the downtown businesses. Obviously, something the community can do is continue to come to our business to taste and enjoy our beer, and hopefully spread the word that we make delicious flavorful high quality beer with a fun atmosphere (when we are able to open back up) and friendly welcoming staff.”
Looking further down the road when the pandemic finally eases and with Paseo Santa Fe redeveloped, Dejú envisions a bustling Downtown again.
“We are so glad the Paseo Santa Fe improvements have finally wrapped up. We love the look of the sidewalk in front of our Tap House, with increased parking, yet everything looks so current, not old-fashioned,” she said. “I hope that our little part of downtown will more resemble the ‘Village’ area near URBN Pizza, When Pigs Fly and Wavelength Brewing, with people walking from business to business, and the feel that is in that part of downtown. We hope we can partner with businesses like Partake, 508 Tavern, even the House Skate Shop so customers feel a sense of ‘place’ downtown.”
We have a great patio in the back of our location – our hope is to have a small amount of tables outdoors, even games like cornhole, and really be able to enjoy our great summer weather,” she added. “It didn’t work out that way in 2020, so hoping 2021 can allow everyone to take a big breath, relax and enjoy.”
Dejú’s hopes may just come true. Having Paseo Santa Fe completed means greater access for locals and visitors alike, including a new walkway, new lighting and roadway paths, and more parking.
“The parking has been really expanded for those businesses that may need parking for take out and pick up, as well as for retail shops, which are still open,” said Kevin Ham, Vista’s Economic Development Director. “The additional lighting also improves the environment for extended hours for this time of year when it’s dark earlier.”
Ham also expects that as soon we are out of the lockdown, consumers will feel more confident with spending.
“My expectation that it’s going to be a windfall for everyone as soon as we get out of this and everyone is comfortable,” he said. “We will see a boom of people being outside, and spending the dollars they have been saving. This new area we have developed, Paseo Santa Fe, will be a haven for consumers, walkers, spenders, and developers. My expectation is that we will have more developments like Terrace Lofts. Exciting and better times lie ahead.”
