Old Woolworth store in downtown Hammond becoming cafe

BY SUSAN BROWN, Times of Northwest Indiana
sbrown@nwitimes.com

HAMMOND | When the F.W. Woolworth store at 5201 Hohman Ave. closed its doors on Christmas Eve in 1970, it had been at the site for more than 50 years.

For many of the city's old guard, the site has been just a vacant repository of fond memories for years.

But word has spread that restaurateur Raymundo Garcia plans to restore the 30,000-square-foot building to its 1920s roots and open a new restaurant/cafe on the first floor. The second and third floors of the building are expected to be turned into condominiums.

Garcia confirmed this week the restaurant/cafe is one of two downtown projects taking up his time, the other being a specialty shop on a model of Trader Joe's at 5630 Hohman Ave.

Garcia said he is often asked when the restaurant/cafe will open.

While the specialty shop is projected to open this summer, the new restaurant/cafe will take much longer, Garcia said.

"Unfortunately these things take some time," he said.

Because the building has undergone several incarnations and years of abandonment, Garcia said much time has been spent simply clearing out debris.

"We're having to bring the building to zero," he said, having removed 180 square yards of materials. "We're almost there."

Garcia said the building's facade will be getting some attention this year. He is also working with architects and engineers on the restaurant's interior design and petitioning the state for a liquor license. Oven equipment and the furniture have been purchased, he said.

Garcia has operated North Hammond's El Taco Real Restaurant for more than 30 years, but the downtown restaurant will have an Italian or western European flavor though building code and space may not allow the restaurant to expand outdoors, he said.

Committed to downtown development, Garcia said he purchased an abandoned building in the 5100 block of Hohman Avenue some 10 years ago. It is now viable as a mortgage company and warehouse space.

Garcia and Karen Maravilla, public relations and marketing director for El Taco Real and president of the Hammond Downtown Council, actively promote downtown's viability among civic groups, encouraging private enterprise rather than waiting for government action.

Investing in downtown himself amounts to walking the walk, not just talking the talk, Garcia said.