Gotta Getta Guna

I don't often travel along Laguna Boulevard Freeway, but last night I drove by one of the original strip malls in this city, at the intersection of DiLusso. The Taco Bell is humming, the auto parts store looked busy, yes, but the ancillary storefronts had little activity and have long been difficult to secure long term tenants. There is always a vacancy or three.

There was an original Guna Juice at that strip mall; indeed, in the fifteen years I've been here, that was the only business I patronized among all those secondary storefronts. It was owned by a guy who made fresh juices/smoothies, and what I really liked about it was that I could get an apple/ginger juice which was fantastic. Indeed, you could order any combination of things because he was an independent owner and was willing to provide a degree of customer service, something missing elsewheres.

I remember the day he was pulling out -- I happened into the joint that morning as he was ripping out the equipment, now some nine years ago. He had another store in East Elk Grove, and told me how the rents/leases were increasing so fast he couldn't stay in Laguna. He was clearly dejected but also optimistic that his other store would survive. He asked if I would patronize his other store.

I never once did...it was too far away, and why would/should I travel another eight miles by car just for a juice? If this city built up on a medium/high density format perhaps it'd be easier to get there, perhaps there'd be other destinations near his other shop that would provide for a multiple destination trip. But not here in the land of the single use. His clientele is fixed -- only a fixed number of low density housal unit occupants near his store can/will find him.

Today, that little strip mall houses two high class occupants -- Laguna Cigarettes and a Check Into Cash -- both of which portend where this fucking city is headed.