Businesses pulling together in Marina
Shops @ The Dunes adapt and adjust during pandemic
walked Scott and into Kim an explosion Negri of and “Crazy brightly colorful Fruit,” painted murals a dessert walls at the Hispanic and snacks tradition, café in which Marina. recently They discovered opened in treats the flavors that incorporate of Mexico, among lime-and-cucumber them a blended drink, a mangoeada beverage topped with Jabalina spicy tamarind candy, fruit paletas Mexicanas or creamy popsicles, and fresh-cut fruit with a scoop of ice cream, drizzled with chamoy plum sauce, plus many other fresh treats. The Negris knew, at first taste, they’d introduced a winner to their “Shops @ The Dunes” retail shopping center.
“We are so excited to bring all these fresh, traditional flavors to the community,” said owner Liliana Raya Ruiz who, with her family, designed, built-out and painted the space. “We can’t wait until people can sit at our bar-style seating and ice cream cone-shaped booths, and enjoy a tamarind fresh-fruit taco. We hope it’s soon.”
Crazy Fruit is the newest addition to the Negris’ more-than 40,000sq. ft., four-building center on General Stilwell Drive, completed in 2019, which remains fully leased by nearly 20 businesses, despite the pandemic. “COVID has created challenges for so many people and businesses; we couldn’t it have would such last have far-reaching this imagined long or effects,” “It has been said particularly Kim Negri. Haircuts hard on and Sport Polished Clips Nails, both of which are now Fitness, open, which and was Anytime open only this pandemic.” two weeks during
The chances two-story of a gym traditional finding equipment a way outside, to set in up ocean air, under variable weather conditions, while meeting the needs and expectations of members, says Negri, are slim to none.
Additional businesses, which are open and following pandemic protocols include Blaze Pizza, Teriyaki Madness, and Deli Delicious. The second building houses Dametra Fresh Mediterranean, Crazy Fruits, 360 Health Café, U.S. Armed Services recruitment center, and CPAP Services, plus the shuttered Anytime Fitness. The third building hosts Smashburger, Poké Bar, Imjin Dental, Dunes Market, Polished Nails, and Mattress FIRM. The fourth building houses Starbucks, Verizon, Sport Clips, and Chipotle.
“When we introduced our food court, we envisioned quick-service, to-go restaurants,” said Negri, “where everyone could come by, feed a family after a soccer game or while traveling, and everyone could get what they want. Mom wants a cup of coffee, Dad wants a deli sandwich, son wants pizza, and daughter wants Mexican grill. It works for everybody.”
Shops @ The Dunes resides south of The Dunes Shopping Center, anchored by Target, REI, Kohl’s, Best Buy, Michael’s, Party City, Old and Navy, Famous Footwear. It is west of Montage Wellness Center, and just north of the five-screen Cinemark Theater, which currently remains closed, due to COVID.
How it Began
Scott have been and Kim in the Negri shopping long center time. In business 1991, when a they out, their were CPA just starting said they needed a name for their business. They looked at one another and randomly paired their initials to come up with SKN Properties. It’s simple, it rolls off the tongue, and it has endured.
“I am the director of special projects and handle marketing and communications,” said Kim Negri, but Scott takes the lead, handling the day-to-day business. It’s really his baby. You’ll find him out early, picking up trash, and making sure everything is on track.” The Shops @ The Dunes is the Negris’ newest shopping center among a dozen sites serving California, Arizona, and Texas. Yet the couple call Monterey their home. “We’re originally from Fresno, where my husband was a broker for Coldwell Banker real estate, but the Peninsula always tugged on our heartstrings,” Negri said. “Monterey was the first place we traveled as a couple. Scott proposed to me here, we were married here, and our children were baptized here. Finally, we made the move to Monterey. We very much like to be involved with the community we live in, as we were in Fresno, and we wanted to be engaged here, as well.”
As the Negris witnessed what they considered an incredible evolution occurring in Marina following the Fort Ord closure and the development of CSU Monterey considered good Bay, exciting transformations and be
“It’s a saw part always they real prospects an of estate,” imagined process opportunity it. a carefully to said and come, to the find to Negri. great get better area “The as and Dunes Marina will only is continues a companies to attract in the the right right place. We have a rule that we don’t put anyone into business unless we first try their service. If we don’t believe in it, don’t like their product, or don’t see them as a customer, we don’t bring them in, trusting others might not relate to them either. We understand what our marketplace wants.” The Negris also make sure they never overlap business categories, never put in another pizza place, Mediterranean restaurant, or gym. They realize the over-saturation ultimately will hurt both businesses.
“All of our tenants have done an excellent job of remaining unique and special,” said Negri, “while pivoting to stay open and continue to serve the community. Once they were shut down for inside dining, Teriyaki Madness and other restaurants quickly had their ordering app already to go, and built relationships with food delivery companies.” Chipotle and Starbucks are larger corporations, she says, that can pivot faster and withstand the challenges. The mom and pops have had to put their thinking caps on and get really creative. And they have.
“I liken Marina to Hanford,” said Negri, “the small town where I grew up, in the Central Valley. Everyone knows everyone, everybody is so connected, and everybody cares about the wellbeing of their hometown. This is a time to take stock of what’s is important: our family—we have 25-year-old twins—our tenants, our customers, and each other.”