Name/Title
Pinole Food Center demolishing (Adila Araya; Topsy Araya estate)Description
Augustine De Silva built the Food Center in 1952 and had a shared wall with the building which is now the Pump House, then called the Sellarette (sp?)
Building included: Pharmacy run by Jerry Stokes; grocery run by Glen Ellis; Butcher shop run and building owned by Augustine DeSilva
Somewhere between 1952 and 1965, the Torrettas took over the grocery portion on a lease, and in 1965 Augustine sold the butcher shop business to Pete Schober and Al Torretta. Schober left that relationship to build Schobers restaurant.
When the pharmacy left, Torretta took out the wall between grocery store and pharmacy, bought the Pump House business, and put a door thru and put a liquor store there. He owned the businesses, but not the building.
Torretta sold the business to a family who ultimately sold the grocery side to another family, and kept the Pump House side. The new owners could not make a profit and that closed the center, and at that point in time new legislation required buildings to be earthquake proof if a leasehold was re-leased.
It was torn down with the thought of redevelopment money helping to construct a multi use building similar to the ones on San Pablo Ave by the creek. No agreement could be made as to the building plans, and redevelopment money was discontinued.
Lot is owned by the DeSilva trust. (Diane Dyer)Copyright
Copyright Holder
Pinole Historical Society
