Santa Cruz Sentinel from Santa Cruz, California • Page 53

Wednesday, April 20, 1977-CM Santa Cruz Sentinel 5 1 1 1 1 "1 Mervyn's Says, 'Business Has Been Great' "'i 1 I Kxrt; i Bobby King, co-owner of the Pet Emporium, stocks the shelves of the store which carries everything from miniature angora rabbits to a complete line of pedigree dogs and tropical fish. The Kings contend they can get a customer nearly any kind of pet within legal limits. et "Business has been great" at Mervyn's, the large retail store which will "anchor" the Capitola mall as its north end. That's the comment of Mervyn's manager Geno Fabbricatore after the first two weeks of opening there. And the extra competition from his new neighbors won't hurt him a bit.

"We think it's great. A last we'll have a full shopping center for people here everything they could want without having to go over the hill to San Jose. About all we don't have yet is a drug store and grocery." Even though the new mall merchants got a bit jittery this week as their stores seemed woefully unfinished and opening day just a tick of the clock away, Fabbricatore was unworried. "We have become famous for opening new stores in record time, and they'll get it done." And, he was right. Fabbricatore said Mervyn's business has been even better than expected." Customers have been happily roaming the 75,000 square foot store finding what they want, he said.

As for the mall, Fabbricatore declares "it's the best-looking mall of its size I've seen. It's small, but like a diamond, size doesn't matter if it's perfect." At that, the mall is larger than the earlier one Fabbricatore was involved in working in Visalia as manager of Mervyn's there. He was been with the firm nine years. So far, the manager said, Mervyn's biggest sellers locally have been Levis, of course, Catalina swimwear, shoes, and Seiko watches. Thise will be on sale at the opening.

"Even if they compete with us, competition is healthy. We function better with competitors, and we welcome them," Fabbricatore said. No Ordinary et Store opening of the new mall to add to its business by offering a variety of choices for the shopper. "We think the competition will be good for everyone," Fabbricatore said. Mervyn's, the first new store to open at the Sutter Hill complex in six years, has been doing a "terrific business" according to manager Geno Fabbricatore, and expects the Northern California Savings And Loan In New Mall and Loan Assn.

just recently approved the new site. In operation primarily in northern California since it now has about 40 offices throughout the state. It is a state-chartered savings and loan with over-the-counter stock listed. Northern California Savings and Loan Assn. will open its third county office sometime between mid-July and the first of August in the Capitola Mall, Gordon Ashworth, vice president and manager of the Santa Cruz branch, reported.

With offices currently in Santa Cruz and Watsonville, Ashworth said that the Capitola office "will enable us ta serve our Mid-County customers to a much greater degree than previously." The new office, still in the design stages, will be located facing 41st Avenue at the left corner of the east entrace to the mall. Ashworth said the office is opening late compared to many stores in the mall because Northern Califronia Savings 7 If a shopper wants to handle a prospective puppy or wants to discuss the payment system for an expensive purchase, the Pet Emporium provides what the Kings term a "love room." This tiny, glassed in room offers a customer and his potential pet all the privacy they may need to know each other. The room also contains a library of reference books on different dog types. Another innovation is that health and beauty aides for pets will be set up in a pharmacy situation, the Kings noted. Eventually, they also hope to provide a grooming service.

Research has also told the Kings that pets and plants and children all go together, so they have located themselves across from a toy store and plan to sell house plants in their pet store. "We have hired ten local people who all have fabulous backgrounds from a veterinarian assistant to longtime pet owners, Warren King added. He also explained that the Pet Emporium will employe a local veterenarian to care for the animals at all times. The grand opening is scheduled for Thursday night and The Pet Emporium on the Capitola Mall is no ordinary pet store. As owners Bobby and Warren King explain it, they can get an animal lover any pet desired as long as the law permits.

"It's going to be a complete pet store," Warren King said. "We'll carry any animals legal to have. We have complete access to any animal. The thing that is unique about our store is that we'll carry a total line of pedigree animals." "When we open up Thursday, we'll have such dogs as a mini-schnauzer and a Lhasa Aposo. In kittens, we'll have himilayans, Siamese and Persians.

We'll have a complete line of birds and reptiles along with 71 fish tanks. We'll be concentrating on tropical and gold fish," he added. The King's pet store is a gi' pse at the pet store of the future. As executive vice president and general manager of the largest wholesale supplier of pet supplies and accessories in the U.S. for many years, Warren King took note of every pet store he visited.

All the modern innovations King noted are included in the Pet Emporium. The store will Iks) )o 0 OS be completely odor-free, with will be complemented with two each dog in a separate, glassed- attractions. The 20-gallon, in room with its own air-condi- wood-toned aquariums are on tioning and lighting system, special and this weekend a rep-King explained. resentative will demonstrate There will be no glass parti- health and nutrition supple-tion between the customers and ments for dogs, the dogs' kennels, he noted. The The Kings also plan to pro-customers will be able to talk to vide educational seminars on the dogs through Just a sheet of the care of pets to local elemen-glass.

tary schools. Time Zone Seeks Games 'People We've opened the most complete bookstore around a Capitola Mall We're a new kind of bookstore. Clean, open, airy and, above all, inviting. A bookstore that makes people like you feel good. You'll feel comfortable just browsing our 25,000 titles.

And if you find something you like (which almost always happens), you can charge it with your Master Charge or Bank-Americard. If it's a gift, we'll wrap it, mail it -or even sell you a gift certificate. And if you can't find the book you want, we'll be glad to specially order it. We're into very personal service, too. Not the kind that's high-pressure.

But the kind that's there when you need it. And lets you feel free to poke around at your own pace. In fact, we take great pains when we choose the people who'll be serving you. Because we realize that they often determine whether or not you'll be back. And if there's anyone we're happier to see than a new friend it's an old friend.

Stop in toon lor some special savings. wyMi ill 3is I A gamesman used to be a rustic type who would go out, shotgun in hand, to knock off a few quail or grouse for the master of the manor. The definition has changed, and the Time Zone hopes to attract a whole new type of games "people" when it opens its doors at the Capitola Mall sometime in the near future. This will be the eighth in the highly-successful chain of "family entertainment centers." as owner Ted Olson likes to call his brainstorm. "In the old vernacular, these were called arcades." he is quick to admit.

"But we have some new concepts and a different style that sets us aside from the regular arcade, mostly in the way our operation is run, the equipment and the decor." Those differences, according to Olson, are substantial. The Time Zone will have full-time management on hand at al times, because a lot of our business centers on young adults, couples and families." This is a new concept for the old arcade, exemplified by the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk's arcade. "This has really just come into existence in the last few years." states Olson, and it seems to be working." It is, if Olson's chain is any Indication. He got into the business after working with the leading video game manufacturer, Atari, who helped Olson set up shop. That was three years ago.

and the Capitola Mall operation will join other Time Zones in Salinas, Mounta View, Fremont. San Leandro, two locations in San Jose, and Cupertino. "We'll have the latest video games put out by several manufacturers. Including the Indy 800 and Fl (two games in which the participants actually drive the mock vehicles), along with Gunfight and Seawolf, two new video games." An unusual attraction, cites Olson, will be the latest computerized pin ball games, using solid state circuits that are fully Integrated. "This keeps the same plnball concept." he explains, "but offers more variety in what you can do with the machine, and the sounds it makes." There will also be Air Hockey and the ever-popular Foos Ball, for which Olson hopes to organize tournaments.

But what's most important to Time Zone and Olson is keeping "our act clean This Includes "strong controls to keep undesirable elements out. And the decor is super-plush." continues Olson. "We ll have lots of color involved In the design of our carpets, paintings, graphics and Interior layout. We offer a very bright, clean and warm atmosphere." Rather than hurting his buiineia. the home sale of video games has actually helped the Time Zones, reports Olson.

"It makes people more aware of the fun in playing these games." And fun. Indeed. Is the name of Time Zone game "I even Usf then as an escape." Olson concedes "If you get into a pinball machine, you're totally Into that ball The object Is to win a free game In one way. it's very therapeutic in that It eiercies your mind, and takes a certain amount of skill. In the other sense, it lets you get away from It all Olwn estimates the Capitola Mall time on will contain at least 50 machines, worth fAS.OOO.

And there witl bt another $45,000 in improvements to the store area. "The main thing to remember that thert will be rules and regulations prohibiting smoking, drinking, eating and foul language. We spend a lot of money trying to keep our act clean, and a lot on advertising Our grand opening Is a great time to give us a try. Because we're offering you some very special bargains on hardcover books. You'ro interested? Great! Come visit us.

The friendly bookstore. 25,000 titles. Special order service. Mailing service. Gift Wrapping.

Gift Certificates. Personalized service Charge with Master Chargo or BOOKSELLER When it comes to completeness, we wrote the book. Capitola Mall 1855 41st Avonuo Capitola 462-0820 Monday-Friday Saturday 12-5 Sunday Now Open in Mall "1 hope Santa Cruz and Capitola enjoy us Wt really do havt something different here, concludes Olson..