SAN BENITO — New businesses are popping up as the city works to breathe new life into its downtown.
Those include Vintage Crush Tearoom & Boutique and the restaurant Hospitaco.
At City Hall, Bernard Rodriguez, the new downtown coordinator, is working on the first steps of a new program aimed at revitalizing Sam Houston Boulevard.
Rodriguez calls it Main Street in Motion.
“The downtown San Benito revitalization program is faced with many issues and challenges,” Rodriguez said in a statement. “However, as a community we are preparing for those challenges and will address any obstacles as a collaborative team.”
As he prepares his budget for the upcoming fiscal year, Rodriguez said he will work to offer grants to help match downtown property owners’ investments aimed at revamping their storefronts.
Another program, he said, could offer subsidized rents for as long as six months.
As part of the revitalization drive, Rodriguez is working to spruce up landscaping in the downtown area.
Meanwhile, the city plans to work with downtown merchants to help develop their business plans.
As part of his job, Rodriguez wants to try to fill the empty storefronts that fill historic buildings along Sam Houston.
So he is working to “organize” the area’s downtown property owners and merchants.
At 625 N. Sam Houston Ave., Dr. Elizandro Muñoz III has partially restored his building boasting original architectural features dating back the 1930s, Rodriguez said.
“The original wood floors were restored to bring to life the historic value,” Rodriguez said. “The building also has its original brick fireplace, French doors and an antique chandelier as you enter. The kitchen cabinetries, including the pantry, are all original features of the building.”
When Nancy Silva was searching for a place to open her new business, she felt Muñoz’s building emanated the charm of an old-fashioned tea room.
So that’s where she opened her Vintage Crush Tearoom & Boutique.
Now, Silva says she is offering “a quaint place with a great purpose.”
Nestled in the heart of the city’s downtown district, one of the city’s newest businesses features a menu of crisp garden-fresh salads and soups along with choice sandwiches ranging from homemade chicken salad to slow-cooked brisket.
Specialties include sun-brewed tea, hot tea and tea infused with fresh vine-ripened fruit.
Meanwhile, Silva’s boutique features fashionable yet affordable apparel and accessory lines, hand bags and contemporary jewelry.
In an outdoor setting, Silva plans entertainment including special events such as live jazz ensembles, art and fashion shows, book readings and Bible study programs.
Down the street, Tony Camacho has opened Hospitaco, a new restaurant featuring a hospital setting beaming with the ambiance of a party-room.
The restaurant, which created eight jobs, features waiters and waitresses donning hospital scrubs while chefs wear surgical caps and masks.
“To call your waitress, simply flip a switch at each table and a red flashing light will alert the staff of a hunger emergency,” Rodriguez said.
