Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron Dean.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have always had a connection to La Mesa. I grew up on Mt Helix and went to Fuerte Elementary School. My Grandparents have lived in the area for over 60 years as well as my father’s medical practice has been in La Mesa for over 37 years. I started looking at building a brewery in La Mesa (which still might happen). While working on that project I really started to fall in love with the Village of La Mesa. It reminded me of North Park 15 years ago.
Amazing streets surround by residential neighborhoods. When the street lights would come on it just reminded me of an old ski town. I found two locations almost immediately and was not exactly sure what I wanted to do. Sheldons was originally a gas Station with the same name. Turns out it was a small chain and the Mayor back in the 20’s was Sheldon. I found myself with a space that just looked perfect for a coffee shop. The space had to be completely redone and we were able to convert the parking in front to a huge patio. The other location I opened a Noodle Shop.
It was originally an Art Gallery that went out of business. We did a complete build-out and loved the space.
However, we decided rather recently that the concept was not working and have since partnered with City Tacos.
We are thrilled.
I have gotten extremely involved in La Mesa. I restarted the La Mesa Village Association to help promote the Village and make sure events were perfect for the merchants. I am currently working on a couple of other ideas. I think La Mesa is the perfect neighborhood.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think anytime you try to open a new business in a new area you always face challenges and unknown obstacles.
When opening Sheldon’s, we had to deal with the fact that it was an old gas station. We were fortunate and found very little soil issues.
The City of La Mesa is small but well organized. We have a City Staff, City Council and a Mayor (Dr “A”) that are all pro-growth for the most part. I have found it to be a great place to do business.
For the actual business the challenges are the usual such as food costs, staff and other experience Trying to give a customer a great item without overcharging…Always a balance.
Please tell us about Sheldon’s Service Station .
Sheldon’s Service Station is a really great coffee shop. It has fantastic coffee which we get from Cafe Moto. We had a lot of fun working with them and creating our own blend. We are only open from 7 am to 3 pm right now so we really have a great breakfast and lunch menu. We are starting to add more items such as more sandwich choices at lunch. We are also excited that starting Dec 1st we will have food trucks on Friday and Saturdays and will extend our hours until 9:30 pm. We serve Beer and Wine along with some fantastic pastries!
I’m really proud of what we have done and how we always try to put our customers first. Our huge front patio certainly sets us apart from everyone else. Best outdoor dining in the Village. We are also dog and very kid friendly.
We have water for the dogs and an array of games for the kids. It’s really fun to see the age differences sitting on the patio.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
For sure our family vacations. Our ski trips to the Rockies were the best! Nothing is or was spending time with the family and all the kids.
Pricing:
- Coffee Drinks from $2 to $6
- Food from $4 to $13
- Beer and Wine $5 – $7
Contact Info:
- Address: 8401 La Mesa Blvd
La Mesa, CA 91942 - Website: www.ssslamesa.com
- Phone: 619-741-8276
- Email: info@ssslamesa.com
- Instagram: sheldonsservicestation
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