s the scent of fresh ground coffee wafts through the downtown area, the aroma can be traced back to Fifth Street Coffee where owner, Yolanda Castaneda, is found performing her weekly ritual of roasting coffee beans. Fifth Street Coffee is the only coffee shop in town to do so. The roaster used to create the familiar fragrance is located in the front of the shop near the large window for all to see.

Owning and operating a coffee shop was not something Yolanda thought she would ever be doing. She was working in the financial services industry for seven years and was quite comfortable. After some encouragement from her sister, Yolanda looked into the opportunity to purchase the business, which was named Dragonfly Coffee at the time. The more she thought about it, the more she couldnʼt resist. Yolanda made the leap from employee to entrepreneur nearly three-years ago. She renovated the interior and renamed the shop, Fifth Street Coffee.

Fifth Street Coffee also offers a variety of specialty coffees such as Almond Honey Latte, a very popular drink amongst locals; Lavender Honey Latte; Horchata Latte and Mexican Mocha to name a few. Customers can purchase bagels, lemon scones, cookies, donuts and breads provided by local bakeries. They also carry 14 flavors of Marianneʼs Ice Cream including German Chocolate Cake, Lavender, Mint Chip and Cookie Dough. Of course, she offers Coffee ice cream as well.

Fifth Street Coffee, which is located at the corner of 5th Street and Monterey, is open Monday- Saturday from 7 am to 7 pm and Sundays from 8 am to 3 pm.

The Business and Education Committee of the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the second annual mock interview event at Gilroy and Christopher High Schools. The event, which is called,“ Rock the Mock,” is scheduled for March 24 and 25. Students from Mt. Madonna High School and Gilroy Early College Academy will also be involved. Participants will have the opportunity to rotate through four workshops entitled,“ How to Prepare for the Interview,”“ Dress for Success,”“ Your Digital Identity & How to Handshake,” along with“ The Interview.” Some 200 students are expected to participate and learn vital skills that can be applied to their job prospecting. For more information about Rock-the-Mock and how you can help, contact the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce.

GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN MARCH / APRIL 2016 gmhtoday. com

69