@losgatan
vol . 5 , no. 3 0 : march 25-31 , 2026 : losgatan.com
fire at historic house p4 : colin peattie p8 : st. paddy's day p10 : the great vanishing p14 Faizi Samadani / Los Gatan
CONTRACTORS ARE PUTTING THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON WHOLE FOODS Management group visits site, just weeks ahead of opening day Drew Penner, Editor
Last Wednesday, a management group from Whole Foods Market visited the Los Gatos Boulevard site of their nearly-finished store to check on construction progress, just hours after Amazon Grocery Communications announced it would open April 15. Around noon, one contractor sought sign-off on the location for safes. Another couple workers were in the middle of moving a sink. “It’s coming along nicely,” Bob Gordon, a construction project manager for Whole Foods told the Los Gatan in a brief interview at the Los Gatos location. “We’re excited about finishing up and opening to the public.” E2S Building Performance had good news for him. Their infrastructure efficiency review indicated the structure was coming along swimmingly, though the company officials hinted this had followed some earlier updates that were more negative. Just a few months back, Tesla opened a dealership and service center next door. And there’s been plenty of speculation in recent months about the scope of the Jeff Bezos-owned neighboring facility. Well, now we know. According to a spokesperson, the Los Gatos location will feature a coffee and juice bar, and ➝ Whole Foods, 16
WALL OF DECKS NC Boardshop co-owner Mike Allen examines a graphic by San Jose-based Jacuzzi Unlimited, a brand that has emerged from the ashes of Enjoi Skateboards, which became a victim of corporate consolidation. The Los Gatos retail shop has persisted for four decades thanks to its independent ethos.
THERE’S NO CONTROLLING SKATEBOARD CULTURE NC Boardshop is is celebrating 40 years in business Faizi Samadani, Contributor
This year marks 40 years since NC Boardshop first landed in Los Gatos. They’ve moved four times since their doors first opened in 1986. Their current spot at 16203 Los Gatos Blvd. has been their longest lease to date, says co-owner Mike Allen.
They’re in the process of planning a big celebration for their anniversary—as, after all, staying afloat for 40 years would be a major accomplishment for any company. But it’s a particularly big milestone for a skateboard retailer, given the industry was considered somewhat of a trend that could flare-out, back when they started. Allen says, despite the successive waves of industry turbu-
lence reaching the highest crest in the 1990s, NC has managed to find a way to continue existing—and thriving—thanks in part to the defiant nature of the target market they serve. NC Boardshop was originally named No Control, before they went for the abbreviation. Allen began skating in 1985. “I just wanted to skate, skate, skate,” he said of his early years. “I had a job, and was ➝ NC Boardshop, 6
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