By Judy Salamacha ~
Top Dog Coffee Bar in Morro Bay has offered its main customer area wall space to local artists since they opened 10 years ago.
About every six weeks a new one-man (or woman) show has be featured, coordinated by local artist, Anne Godsey. Currently, customers can enjoy the land and seascapes created by Wayne Huston, a Central Coast “snowbird” who lives here from October through March.
Huston will soon return to his hometown in Anchorage, Alaska, but for the past 14 years, he’s assimilated into the fabric of Cayucos and Morro Bay six months of the year — a good example how “snowbirds” become assets to a community and help businesses weather the wintertime economy.
“In the ‘50s my parents left Morgan Hill to homestead in Alaska,” Huston said. “(Once a parent) we took the kids to Disneyland and would visit relatives in Morro Bay.” He retired from Anchorage Telephone Company in 1999 after 35 years and spent two years traveling Coast-to-Coast.
“While near the Central Coast I called a cousin who happened to be at his vacation condo in Cayucos. I’ve been back every winter for 14 years.”
This return visit includes his being the featured artist at Top Dog, but check out his paintings soon, as he will leave for Alaska at the end of the month.
Huston studied with master artist, Bob Ross, oil painting with Ed Rayburn and acrylics with Bill Cross. Huston primarily paints land and seascapes from Alaskan and Central Coast, but doesn’t hesitate to capture beauty wherever he travels. And since he connected with friend and partner, Mimi Drew, a lifelong art history aficionado, their mutual interests compliment their quest for subjects.
Huston connected early on with the Cayucos art community through Al Musso’s free, weekly art classes available for members of the Cayucos Art Association each Monday from 1-4 p.m. at the Cayucos Vet’s Hall. Musso quickly discovered Huston’s talent for teaching his “tricks of the trade.”
“I want to show you how, then give you wings,” he tells students. Huston is also active with the Cayucos’ Lions and Cayucos Seniors. His fishing avocation is annually appreciated as both organizations are treated with his Alaskan halibut.
Customers who might not have visited Top Dog Coffee Bar lately will notice some changes. Owners Patrick Bietz and Suzanne Maury have done some remodeling, with new flooring and paint. There is also a menu board that details the breakfast offerings, such as Top Dog Granola, Old Fashioned Oatmeal and a variety of oversized muffins.
The lunch menu offers a build-your-own sandwich for only $5.95. The customer picks from four areas of meats, cheeses, veggies etc.
Bietz said, “We try to give our customers the flavors of the world.” The coffees are still imported, mostly single estate varietals, from all over the world including Kenya, “…which is often too expensive for American coffee bars to carry.”
Bietz personally roasts the beans every other day “…so they are as fresh as they can be. When we moved here 10 years ago we worked with Culligan, Morro Bay to install a filtering system so our coffees and teas are made with the purest of water.”
Bietz has traditionally been an active member of the Chamber of Commerce and Morro Bay Merchant’s Association. He continues to innovate programs that are as good for his business development as they could be for other community businesses.
Last month his employees delivered 20-percent off discount cards to other merchants in Morro Bay and Cayucos, where they have had a second coffee bar since 2011.
The cards are for the merchants’ employees to bring to Top Dog and get their discount for the specific month listed on the card.
Bietz said, “Let’s face it, our employees make or break our business and if all or even several of our local merchants make such an offer and encourage our employees to use it, our employees will get to know the products of neighboring businesses and be able to refer customers with firsthand knowledge.
“Plus this is a tangible benefit we can offer our own employees encouraging them to do a good job for us and our neighboring businesses.”
Bietz said to call 772-9225 if interested in the employee discount program or drop by since he is spending more time again in Morro Bay. Store hours are from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at 857 Main St., Morro Bay and 14 N. Ocean Ave., Cayucos.
Freelance writer, columnist and author, Judy Salamacha’s Then & Now column is a regular feature of Tolosa Press. Contact her at: [email protected] or (805) 801-1422 with story ideas.