What killed Bob’s Fruit Truck?

The yellow “Bob’s Fruit Truck” sign is still there, a reminder of the times when a steady stream of locals were willing pay a little more for Sonoma County’s best seasonal fruits and vegetables. And the shiny stainless steel tamale cart that fueled the fruit stand’s resurgence last year has moved on, its owners selling the $1.50 specialty about nine miles down the road in Kenwood.

The popularity of the tamale cart was enough to fuel a family’s middle-class dreams of business ownership, but not enough to offset the rent, utilities and investment costs of the fruit stand.

What killed Bob’s Fruit Truck? The answer depends on whom you ask. Some say it was poor business moves on the part of the most recent owners. Others say the stand’s best days ended several years ago when Bob Coburn, who started the business, sold it.

Now, months have passed since the business closed and its occupancy permit has lapsed, further raising doubts about the site’s future as a produce stand.

“Because of this economy, I really don’t think that anything can happen out there,” Coburn said this week. “I would love to see somebody who would try to make a go at it. I tried to make the best possible fruit stand that I could out there and it really paid off.”

Jose Duran and his mother Carmen, however, could not make it work.

About a year ago, they set up next to Bob’s and began selling cheese, pork and chicken tamales.

Larry Tristano, the second owner of Bob’s Fruit Truck — it’s a stand, not a truck — invited them to put the cart, which seemed to be doing a good business, in front of his place. A few days later, Tristano offered to sell the business — in monthly installments — to the Durans.

It was the beginning of a dream come true for the tamale entrepreneurs, who soon began toying with the idea of owning their own restaurant at the site. Other business owners on the property supported the Durans, who for them came to epitomize the familiar immigrant success story.

But the success story was stillborn. The Durans started having trouble almost as soon as they took over Bob’s. Jose Duran said produce sales lagged during the winter and they lacked the financial resources to restock the inventory. That was because most of their money was going to pay utilities, rent and installment payments on the business — a total of about $1,900 a month. Tamale profits covered about half of that.

“My savings are gone, my mom’s savings are gone,” Duran said.

Ted Robbins, the owner of the shopping center just west of the intersection of Highway 12 and Mission Boulevard, cites the family’s failure to restock the produce bins as the main reason for the business failure.

“When he walked in, I said ‘You are now in the middle class .

.. all you have to do is earn it,’” Robbins said.

The Durans tried to make the fruit stand work for nine months and paid the full rent of $1,000 (the Durans say it was $1,200) for six months before they started having trouble, the landlord said. At the beginning of the summer, they started making payments of $500 toward the rent. They made two such payments before they could not longer afford even that, Robbins said.

In July, the family left the site, owing money to both Tristano and Robbins.

Robbins said the departure has hurt the small shopping center. “When you don’t have an anchor tenant you don’t have anything to draw them in,” he said.

A small structure at the rear of the Highway 12 shopping center houses Merit Trophies Awards. Inside, Gary Goodman sat in a chair working while a television was tuned to the Ultimate Fighter Championship. All around him, in dozens of bins pegged to the walls were bright golden trophy parts. White and black marble bases spilled out from boxes on the floor.

Goodman, who has been in this spot for 12 years, said his “specialty business” does not rely much on walk-in traffic. He said he thinks locals would support the fruit stand and hopes the site will draw a new operator.

Most of the businesses in the shopping center are specialty shops, including the Bear Foot Honey Farm, a music instruction shop called Cheryl Teach Music and the Highway 12 Hair salon.

Robbins said that he and the other tenants wanted very much for the Durans to succeed, but that the family, particularly Jose, made poor decisions.

Duran rejects the claim that he got in over his head, though he admits that he was unfamiliar with local fruit prices. He says the main reason Bob’s Fruit Truck died was he couldn’t afford his rent.

Now, the Durans are starting over in a small shopping center called Kenwood Farmhouse. Their tamale cart is near the entrance in a gravel area where the mother-son partnership pays a small fraction of the rent in Santa Rosa, and nothing for utilities.

“We’re making the same as we did over there,” said Jose Duran. “The only difference is now we don’t have to use our savings to pay rent and utilities.”

In Kenwood, the Durans have found a new family, said Daniel Green, who along with a business partner recently purchased the small center. Green said the tamale cart brings in foot-traffic .

“We need him here like you need water going through a desert,” Green said.

The Kenwood Farmhouse, which sells eclectic, new and old home and garden gifts, rents space to several other businesses. These include a shop called Highway 12 Serendipity that sells vintage kitchen ware, clothing, accessories and art, and a terra-cotta artist who specializes on Romanesque landscape fixtures.

Across from the tamale cart is a bright red coffee trailer called Instant Karma Coffee.

“It’s a Godsend to have him,” said Green, adding that the tamale cart has “increased our business.”

Attached to the tamale cart is a sign that still reads “Bob’s Fruit Truck Tamales.” Duran said he’s getting back on his feet and hopes soon to begin saving money again.

“I had a dream. I still have a dream,” he said.

What killed Bob’s Fruit Truck?By MARTIN ESPINOZAThe site of the old Bob’s Fruit Truck on Highway 12 in east Santa Rosa remains empty after Jose Duran and his family were unable to keep the…PressDemocrat.comOctober 24, 2011 6:03 PMpThe demise of Bob’s Fruit Truck in Santa Rosa has unfolded in full view of those driving past the rustic shopping center on Highway 12 in Rincon Valley where it had become an institution for 28 years./ppThe yellow “Bob’s Fruit Truck” sign is still there, a reminder of the times when a steady stream of locals were willing pay a little more for Sonoma County’s best seasonal fruits and vegetables. And the shiny stainless steel tamale cart that fueled the fruit stand’s resurgence last year has moved on, its owners selling the $1.50 specialty about nine miles down the road in Kenwood./ppThe popularity of the tamale cart was enough to fuel a family’s middle-class dreams of business ownership, but not enough to offset the rent, utilities and investment costs of the fruit stand./ppWhat killed Bob’s Fruit Truck? The answer depends on whom you ask. Some say it was poor business moves on the part of the most recent owners. Others say the stand’s best days ended several years ago when Bob Coburn, who started the business, sold it./ppNow, months have passed since the business closed and its occupancy permit has lapsed, further raising doubts about the site’s future as a produce stand./pp“Because of this economy, I really don’t think that anything can happen out there,” Coburn said this week. “I would love to see somebody who would try to make a go at it. I tried to make the best possible fruit stand that I could out there and it really paid off.”/ppJose Duran and his mother Carmen, however, could not make it work./ppAbout a year ago, they set up next to Bob’s and began selling cheese, pork and chicken tamales./ppLarry Tristano, the second owner of Bob’s Fruit Truck — it’s a stand, not a truck — invited them to put the cart, which seemed to be doing a good business, in front of his place. A few days later, Tristano offered to sell the business — in monthly installments — to the Durans./ppIt was the beginning of a dream come true for the tamale entrepreneurs, who soon began toying with the idea of owning their own restaurant at the site. Other business owners on the property supported the Durans, who for them came to epitomize the familiar immigrant success story. /ppBut the success story was stillborn. The Durans started having trouble almost as soon as they took over Bob’s. Jose Duran said produce sales lagged during the winter and they lacked the financial resources to restock the inventory. That was because most of their money was going to pay utilities, rent and installment payments on the business — a total of about $1,900 a month. Tamale profits covered about half of that./pp“My savings are gone, my mom’s savings are gone,” Duran said./ppTed Robbins, the owner of the shopping center just west of the intersection of Highway 12 and Mission Boulevard, cites the family’s failure to restock the produce bins as the main reason for the business failure./pp“When he walked in, I said ‘You are now in the middle class .TH.TH. all you have to do is earn it,’” Robbins said. /ppThe Durans tried to make the fruit stand work for nine months and paid the full rent of $1,000 (the Durans say it was $1,200) for six months before they started having trouble, the landlord said. At the beginning of the summer, they started making payments of $500 toward the rent. They made two such payments before they could not longer afford even that, Robbins said./ppIn July, the family left the site, owing money to both Tristano and Robbins./ppRobbins said the departure has hurt the small shopping center. “When you don’t have an anchor tenant you don’t have anything to draw them in,” he said./ppA small structure at the rear of the Highway 12 shopping center houses Merit Trophies Awards. Inside, Gary Goodman sat in a chair working while a television was tuned to the Ultimate Fighter Championship. All around him, in dozens of bins pegged to the walls were bright golden trophy parts. White and black marble bases spilled out from boxes on the floor./ppGoodman, who has been in this spot for 12 years, said his “specialty business” does not rely much on walk-in traffic. He said he thinks locals would support the fruit stand and hopes the site will draw a new operator./ppMost of the businesses in the shopping center are specialty shops, including the Bear Foot Honey Farm, a music instruction shop called Cheryl Teach Music and the Highway 12 Hair salon./ppRobbins said that he and the other tenants wanted very much for the Durans to succeed, but that the family, particularly Jose, made poor decisions./ppDuran rejects the claim that he got in over his head, though he admits that he was unfamiliar with local fruit prices. He says the main reason Bob’s Fruit Truck died was he couldn’t afford his rent. /ppNow, the Durans are starting over in a small shopping center called Kenwood Farmhouse. Their tamale cart is near the entrance in a gravel area where the mother-son partnership pays a small fraction of the rent in Santa Rosa, and nothing for utilities./pp“We’re making the same as we did over there,” said Jose Duran. “The only difference is now we don’t have to use our savings to pay rent and utilities.”/ppIn Kenwood, the Durans have found a new family, said Daniel Green, who along with a business partner recently purchased the small center. Green said the tamale cart brings in foot-traffic ./pp“We need him here like you need water going through a desert,” Green said./ppThe Kenwood Farmhouse, which sells eclectic, new and old home and garden gifts, rents space to several other businesses. These include a shop called Highway 12 Serendipity that sells vintage kitchen ware, clothing, accessories and art, and a terra-cotta artist who specializes on Romanesque landscape fixtures./ppAcross from the tamale cart is a bright red coffee trailer called Instant Karma Coffee./pp“It’s a Godsend to have him,” said Green, adding that the tamale cart has “increased our business.”/ppAttached to the tamale cart is a sign that still reads “Bob’s Fruit Truck Tamales.” Duran said he’s getting back on his feet and hopes soon to begin saving money again./pp“I had a dream. I still have a dream,” he said./pCopyright 2011 PressDemocrat.com – All rights reserved. Restricted use only.

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