Ron Alex owns the Cornerhouse Café in Los Olivos and says it has been a slow month for his coffee shop due to the series of storms that have come through the area.
But on Monday, despite the rainy President’s Day morning, his business and others were busy.
“Well, we actually had a pretty good January, but this February, we are facing rain and things like that,” Alex said.
He says in the eight years the Cornerhouse Café has been open, his business typically sees a dip in customer turnout in February, after the holidays.
He adds that prior to Sunday’s big downpour, the rush of tourists in Los Olivos also came with a needed boost to the local economy.
“We had a very busy Saturday. We had a very busy Sunday. Today, because of the rain, it has been a little slow, but I expect it will pick back up this afternoon,” he added.
On Monday, KSBY caught up with staff at Nella Kitchen as they were setting up for the day. Bar manager Chris Hewes says he has seen the rain's impact on his crowds of customers as well.
“A little bit slower because of the rain of course, so that definitely puts a bit of a damper on things,” Hewes admitted. “But every night, we are still doing really good covers, same with Los Olivos in general, having a lot of tourists come up.”
One of those tourists visiting Los Olivos on Monday was Carrie Clay of Columbus, Ohio.
“Our daughter had a week of vacation, so we planned to come out for a biking trip,” she told KSBY.
However, Clay says her family’s plans for a President’s Day bike ride were canceled because of the rain, which is why she spent the morning checking out the local storefronts in Los Olivos.
“People like to shop, they like to eat, they like to drink the wine out here, so I am sure the economy will get a little bit of a boost,” she said.
But after a relatively slow end to the holiday weekend for the Cornerhouse Café, Alex says he is optimistic for the crowds this Spring.
“I think you are going to see a lot of people here,” he said.
Other local businesses we spoke with say they have also begun offering new specials this winter to bring out more customers during the rainy season.
