This article was written by BenitoLink intern Ashlyn Manninen. Lea este artículo en español aquí.
The Baler Steakhouse officially closed its doors in late July, making it the most recent business to shut down at the historic Pendergrass Building. Owners Raul Escareño and Yvonne Sanchez were saddened by the decision to close, and that it was just becoming too difficult to run the business anymore.
The building didn’t sit unoccupied for long, as Cosmos Bar and Grill has already opened its doors.
The Pendergrass Building, located on the corner of San Benito Street and 5th Street, has been home to numerous restaurants throughout the years. Even though the building has a prime location in the middle of downtown, no business so far seems to have enough success to last long in the location. The Baler opened in 2022.
The building consists of four floors, and has been under construction off and on over the years. The first floor is fully functional, and is designed for a restaurant. While the top three floors are still under construction, and are slated to become 12 apartments.
Before it became The Baler, the location was home to Hollister House Bar and Grill, which owner Jack Barbieri kept open for about four years. Before Hollister House, the location was home to a restaurant called The Pendergrass, which thrived for three years. A few years before it became The Pendergrass, it was a bar called The Broken Wing, which was only open a little over a year. In the years between the different restaurants, the building sat empty and unoccupied.
BenitoLink met with Cosmos Bar and Grill owner Elpidio Diego, former chef at Mama Mia’s and Ladera in Morgan Hill, and he is super excited about opening a new place.
When asked why he chose Hollister, Diego mentioned that he “loves Hollister and the smalltown vibe it offers.”
The menu includes a little bit of everything, including burgers, pastas, sandwiches and steaks. Diego says he has been in the restaurant industry for a while now, and has been trying for the past five years to open his own place. He says his previous experience at Mama Mia’s and Ladera Grill in Morgan Hill will have some influence on his menu.
The Pendergrass Building was built by former Hollister Mayor J.E. Pendergrass in 1927 and originally served as Hotel Pendergrass. The hotel consisted of four floors, and was known to have some of the finest furniture around.
The first floor is where guests would gather and dine, the second floor served as an office space, and the third and fourth floors held 28 hotel rooms for guests. The hotel was later renamed the Holland Hotel.
The historic building was also home to the Hollister National Bank in the 1920s. Over the years the building occupied a couple of different banks, but ultimately became a Union Bank, and stayed that way for many years until the late 1990s.
The BenitoLink Internship Program is a paid, skill-building program that prepares local youth for a professional career. This program is supported by Monterey Peninsula Foundation AT&T Golf Tour, United Way, Taylor Farms and the Emma Bowen Foundation.
The post Pendergrass Building timeline appeared first on BenitoLink.