Quick Take
Two former employees of Soif Wine Bar and Merchant are moving closer to opening their new wine bar and retail shop in the former home of Caffe Pergolesi in downtown Santa Cruz. The project faces a hearing before a city committee next month.
Progress on a new wine bar and retail shop slated for the former Caffe Pergolesi building is inching forward, with a hearing before the city’s Historic Preservation Commission scheduled for next month.
Andrea “Dede” Eckhardt and Alexis Carr, longtime employees of Soif Wine Bar and Merchant, took the reins from owner Patrice Boyle when the business shuttered in 2023. The women continued to manage the wine shop after Soif’s restaurant closed in February 2022, and planned to carry on its legacy in a new location — the historic Dr. Miller’s building at Cedar and Elm streets in downtown Santa Cruz.
Now, after more than two years, the pair’s plans are making some notable progress, with a hearing before the city’s Historic Preservation Commission scheduled for Sept. 17.
Because the building is designated as historic, any plans for remodeling or alteration must first be reviewed by the preservation commission per the city’s historic building code. While certain upgrades of historic buildings are allowed, such as those necessary to meet public safety concerns, they must be balanced with retention of unique historic features. After that hearing, plans can be submitted to the building department for review so that renovations can begin.
The Dr. Miller’s building, built in 1886, housed beloved coffeehouse Caffe Pergolesi for 28 years until it closed in 2017. In 2022, the building was put up for sale after one of its then-owners died and the other decided the necessary renovations were too much for him to take on. A Soif investor purchased the property in 2023 and since then, Eckhardt and Carr have been working hard to rebuild the business, which they envision will include both a retail shop as well as a dine/drink-in area.
The building, which includes an upstairs apartment, needs changes to meet current safety and accessibility codes, while also maintaining its architectural integrity and historic character, Carr and Eckhardt said in a statement. That includes upgrades to bring the building up to current code and making necessary changes like adding a wheelchair ramp to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. Carr and Eckhardt declined to elaborate on additional updates, but said they are working closely with a historic building consultant on the process.
“We’re excited to bring new life to this iconic space while honoring its past,” said Eckhardt.
Caffe Pergolesi first opened downtown in 1973, but moved to the Dr. Miller’s building after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, becoming a popular hangout spot that often hosted live music and other events. The yellow Victorian previously served as Dr. Joseph Miller’s dental office, which he established in 1953 and ran until his retirement in 1971, according to Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History archives.
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