Co-written by Devika Watave and Sarah Robinson

As Vallco Shopping Mall gets ready to renovate according to Sand Hill Property Company’s plans, the businesses inside the mall prepare to move out. While some will be coming back after the mall has been renovated, most will be forced to find somewhere else to set up shop, or close down entirely. Click on the audio below to find out what will happen to the stores still open in Vallco and the employees’ opinions on the renovations.

LOSING STEAM

The Toy Train Operating Society isn’t a store in the usual sense of the word. People don’t come here to buy things — in fact, the place that looks like a Christmas toy store is actually a club that uses Vallco as a place to display its trains. Because the display is purely for viewing as opposed to buying, the amount of people coming in to look at the trains has not changed as substantially as it has in other stores. Tom Wolf, the secretary of the club, describes how Vallco’s reconstruction will undoubtedly affect the club.

Tom Wolfe, the owner of the Toy Train Operating Society, sits in front of the society’s train display in Vallco. The facility is owned by the Golden State Toy Train Operators, of which Wolfe is secretary. Photo by Anjana Melvin.

Inside the Toy Train Operating Society’s display in Vallco mall, model trains with miniature pieces revolve around a track. A small group of men sit behind the displays, conversing as they watch a steam engine chug by. Photo by Anjana Melvin.

AN UNEXPECTED TWIST

Osman Khan is carrying on his family’s business, Pretzel Maker. He started working there ten years ago, under his father. The twenty-five-year-old business has been around for so long that Khan remembers a time when Vallco was the place to be. When asked about what might happen to Pretzel Maker now that Vallco is completely rebuilding, he was not hopeful.

Osman Khan, an employee at Pretzel Maker, stands in front of his family owned shop. He believes that although the mall has been degrading for several years, it should only be remodeled and not completely rebuilt. Photo by Anjana Melvin.

The Pretzel Maker, a family-owned store, is a joint business with Mrs. Fields, which stands dark and empty directly across. Pretzel Maker is one of the only stores still open that sells food, and, like many shops left in Vallco, it won’t fit in with the higher-end shops in the newly renovated mall. Photo by Anjana Melvin.

ON THE EDGE

Ace of Knives is one of the speciality stores in Vallco mall, selling and repairing high-end as well as mid-range cutlery. Considering that it doesn’t rely too greatly on walk-ins, the store is not affected by the lack of people as much as other stores might be. Still, the traffic has been cut down by quite a lot. Russell Soffiotto, an employee of the store, discusses his opinions about the renovation and how it’s been affecting the business.

Russell Soffiotto, an employee for the Ace of Knives, shows off one of the knives on display. Soffiotto feels that when the store moves out in January, it will be out of its element, because it’s always been a mall store. Photo by Anjana Melvin.

The Ace of Knives in Vallco is one of the few stores still open. They currently sell and repair custom knives and will likely have to reopen elsewhere after they move out in January. Photo by Anjana Melvin.