Gilroy Bowl and Scotty ' s Restaurant
Saying Aloha to One of Gilroy ' s Iconic Businesses
“ Aloha ” is written in large flowing script on the framed sign above the waitress station in Scotty ’ s Restaurant . Aloha , in Hawaiian , can mean both hello or goodbye . But it ’ s more than a simple greeting : The Spirit of Aloha means to treat each other with love and respect , to create positive feelings that multiply and spread to others . And that is exactly the spirit that has been a part of Gilroy Bowl and Scotty ’ s Restaurant from the beginning . But , now , it ’ s time to say Aloha . Gilroy Bowl and Scotty ’ s Restaurant , a fixture in downtown Gilroy for 52 years , has closed . In 1968 , Tom and Grace Kawano purchased the bowling alley , bar , and restaurant . “ When we came to Gilroy , we did not know a single person . This whole block was full of shops , many run by families ,” said Grace . “ Next door was a furniture store , next to that a stationery store , then a bakery , a couple of shoe stores , Woolworth ’ s , JC Penney ’ s , and Dick Bruhn ’ s Men ’ s Clothing . We were very fortunate to get the reception that we did . We got to know each other ’ s families .”
Grace Kawano is the matriarch of the family . At 89 , she stands tall and moves with energy . Her face is framed by well-coifed white hair . She ’ s wearing a maroon sweatshirt and blue jeans . On the sweatshirt is a Teddy Bear inside a large heart and the words , “ Beary Sweet Grandma .”
Her husband , Tom , who passed away in 2015 , was born and raised in Hawaii . He honored the idea of Ohana , the Hawaiian word for the family you choose . “ Whoever walked in that door became a part of our family . Just like if you come to my house , you ’ re a part of the family ,” Grace said . “ This is the thing that we had with our customers . We all got to know each other . Our staff got to know them . It was the interaction , the feeling .”
“ Tom wanted our staff to greet everyone who walked through the door . You greet them , you seat them , regardless of whether it ’ s your station or not . And when they leave , you thank them . I was very fortunate to have a staff who felt that they were very much a part of this . They knew what they had to do , they did it , and it was just very special . What would you call us , old-fashioned ?” she said .
We often think of old-fashioned as negative , but old-fashioned also harks back to a time when service came first , when the staff greeted you by name , and , when they asked how you were
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GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN WINTER 2021 gmhtoday . com