The Oldest Business in Los Gatos

Some months ago, I was having lunch at C.B. Hannegan’s and for some reason a bunch of us started to figure which currently operating business had been around for the longest time. We didn’t get into splitting hairs, such as specifying “under one owner” or other stuff like that. We were just thinking in general terms, about the places that we are familiar with.

As a result of our totally un-official, non-scientific, beer tainted survey, this is what we figured; both Gina’s shop “of eclectic art . . . from exotic lands” on Main Street and the Black Watch began doing business in 1959.

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There is one other ongoing business that dates back to the 1920s which, last I heard, was still located across town on Loma Alta Avenue; the Macabee Gopher Trap Company. However, during our reminiscing, several of the stauncher patriots wanted to not include Macabee as we had all read that they had “outsourced” the manufacture of its traps to some asian country. And besides, it didn’t sell to the public, only to distributors, so it wasn’t the same kind of business as the Watch or Gina’s. No one was eager enough to start writing up a list of rules so the whole issue was dropped and we watched a golf match on TV.

Neither the Black Watch or Gina’s do a lot of advertising so newer residents here in Los Gatos, may not even be aware of them. The Black Watch is very easy to find as it’s across the street from the Wells Fargo Bank on Santa Cruz Avenue. Gina’s is also easy to find but it is very unassuming it doesn’t have a large bank nearby. It’s on the corner of Main Street and Park Avenue, kitty corner from the Main Street sweet shop, Icing on the Cake.

(to read the conclusion and see all the photos, clcik here)