The following was contributed by Reaney1(15874496)
Death of Los Gatos Foster's Freeze matriarch stirs memories of shop on Main Street
Old-timers remember the days when the Foster's Freeze on Main Street was the place to go for good, cheap eats and soft ice cream. Located across the street from Los Gatos High School, the teen hangout was razed, eventually making way for the Hotel Los Gatos. But it remains a fond memory in the hearts of so many now middle-aged Wildcats.
From 1954 to 1961, Foster's Freeze was owned by the Powers family. The family's matriarch, Irene Powers, died on Dec. 6 at the age of 92. She is survived by her sons Bill and Clyde Powers, daughters Marian Anders and Alma Robertson, 15 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.
"The thing that really impressed me about mom was when my dad almost died," said Bill Powers. "In 1956 dad got a disease called valley fever. He was out of the business for about 11 months. So mom not only took care of the home, she stepped in and kept the business going."
From the beginning, Powers said, Foster's Freeze was a family business. "At the time we bought it, all the family became workers," he said. "I was in the seventh grade so I did behind-the-scenes work like cleaning the sink. But it was a really fun experience."
Powers said it was also a learning experience. "One of the lessons I've carried with me throughout life is customer service. If you sold somebody a cone and their child dropped it, you replaced it. If a shake was too thin, you made it right," he said.
Somewhere around 1955 or '56, Foster's Freeze started offering 19-cent hamburgers, along with corn dogs, hot dogs and 39-cent steak sandwiches. "On Friday night after closing, we'd be out messing around and I'd drive in as my brother-in-law was driving out. I'd ask him, 'Hey, is the grill still hot?' " Powers says his parents did not know about these late night forays and wondered why it was so hard to turn a profit. "We ate the profits," he said.
Another thing that hurt business occurred when a new stretch of Highway 17 opened in the late 1950s, allowing people to bypass Los Gatos on the way to Santa Cruz. "It had a real significant impact on business," Powers said. "We couldn't rely on beach-goers anymore. I think the town itself suffered. For a long time we had a lot of empty businesses on Main Street."
Powers said they did more advertising and slowly built a new customer base. "They were all friends," Powers said. "You got to know them. I had a lot of friends back then."
Friends, fond memories and, for a few pennies, a Foster's Freeze cone.
Death of Los Gatos Foster's Freeze matriarch stirs memories of shop on Main Street
Old-timers remember the days when the Foster's Freeze on Main Street was the place to go for good, cheap eats and soft ice cream. Located across the street from Los Gatos High School, the teen hangout was razed, eventually making way for the Hotel Los Gatos. But it remains a fond memory in the hearts of so many now middle-aged Wildcats.
From 1954 to 1961, Foster's Freeze was owned by the Powers family. The family's matriarch, Irene Powers, died on Dec. 6 at the age of 92. She is survived by her sons Bill and Clyde Powers, daughters Marian Anders and Alma Robertson, 15 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.
"The thing that really impressed me about mom was when my dad almost died," said Bill Powers. "In 1956 dad got a disease called valley fever. He was out of the business for about 11 months. So mom not only took care of the home, she stepped in and kept the business going."
From the beginning, Powers said, Foster's Freeze was a family business. "At the time we bought it, all the family became workers," he said. "I was in the seventh grade so I did behind-the-scenes work like cleaning the sink. But it was a really fun experience."
Powers said it was also a learning experience. "One of the lessons I've carried with me throughout life is customer service. If you sold somebody a cone and their child dropped it, you replaced it. If a shake was too thin, you made it right," he said.
Somewhere around 1955 or '56, Foster's Freeze started offering 19-cent hamburgers, along with corn dogs, hot dogs and 39-cent steak sandwiches. "On Friday night after closing, we'd be out messing around and I'd drive in as my brother-in-law was driving out. I'd ask him, 'Hey, is the grill still hot?' " Powers says his parents did not know about these late night forays and wondered why it was so hard to turn a profit. "We ate the profits," he said.
Another thing that hurt business occurred when a new stretch of Highway 17 opened in the late 1950s, allowing people to bypass Los Gatos on the way to Santa Cruz. "It had a real significant impact on business," Powers said. "We couldn't rely on beach-goers anymore. I think the town itself suffered. For a long time we had a lot of empty businesses on Main Street."
Powers said they did more advertising and slowly built a new customer base. "They were all friends," Powers said. "You got to know them. I had a lot of friends back then."
Friends, fond memories and, for a few pennies, a Foster's Freeze cone.
The following was contributed by Reaney1(15874496)
Death of Los Gatos Foster's Freeze matriarch stirs memories of shop on Main Street
Old-timers remember the days when the Foster's Freeze on Main Street was the place to go for good, cheap eats and soft ice cream. Located across the street from Los Gatos High School, the teen hangout was razed, eventually making way for the Hotel Los Gatos. But it remains a fond memory in the hearts of so many now middle-aged Wildcats.
From 1954 to 1961, Foster's Freeze was owned by the Powers family. The family's matriarch, Irene Powers, died on Dec. 6 at the age of 92. She is survived by her sons Bill and Clyde Powers, daughters Marian Anders and Alma Robertson, 15 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.
"The thing that really impressed me about mom was when my dad almost died," said Bill Powers. "In 1956 dad got a disease called valley fever. He was out of the business for about 11 months. So mom not only took care of the home, she stepped in and kept the business going."
From the beginning, Powers said, Foster's Freeze was a family business. "At the time we bought it, all the family became workers," he said. "I was in the seventh grade so I did behind-the-scenes work like cleaning the sink. But it was a really fun experience."
Powers said it was also a learning experience. "One of the lessons I've carried with me throughout life is customer service. If you sold somebody a cone and their child dropped it, you replaced it. If a shake was too thin, you made it right," he said.
Somewhere around 1955 or '56, Foster's Freeze started offering 19-cent hamburgers, along with corn dogs, hot dogs and 39-cent steak sandwiches. "On Friday night after closing, we'd be out messing around and I'd drive in as my brother-in-law was driving out. I'd ask him, 'Hey, is the grill still hot?' " Powers says his parents did not know about these late night forays and wondered why it was so hard to turn a profit. "We ate the profits," he said.
Another thing that hurt business occurred when a new stretch of Highway 17 opened in the late 1950s, allowing people to bypass Los Gatos on the way to Santa Cruz. "It had a real significant impact on business," Powers said. "We couldn't rely on beach-goers anymore. I think the town itself suffered. For a long time we had a lot of empty businesses on Main Street."
Powers said they did more advertising and slowly built a new customer base. "They were all friends," Powers said. "You got to know them. I had a lot of friends back then."
Friends, fond memories and, for a few pennies, a Foster's Freeze cone.
Death of Los Gatos Foster's Freeze matriarch stirs memories of shop on Main Street
Old-timers remember the days when the Foster's Freeze on Main Street was the place to go for good, cheap eats and soft ice cream. Located across the street from Los Gatos High School, the teen hangout was razed, eventually making way for the Hotel Los Gatos. But it remains a fond memory in the hearts of so many now middle-aged Wildcats.
From 1954 to 1961, Foster's Freeze was owned by the Powers family. The family's matriarch, Irene Powers, died on Dec. 6 at the age of 92. She is survived by her sons Bill and Clyde Powers, daughters Marian Anders and Alma Robertson, 15 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.
"The thing that really impressed me about mom was when my dad almost died," said Bill Powers. "In 1956 dad got a disease called valley fever. He was out of the business for about 11 months. So mom not only took care of the home, she stepped in and kept the business going."
From the beginning, Powers said, Foster's Freeze was a family business. "At the time we bought it, all the family became workers," he said. "I was in the seventh grade so I did behind-the-scenes work like cleaning the sink. But it was a really fun experience."
Powers said it was also a learning experience. "One of the lessons I've carried with me throughout life is customer service. If you sold somebody a cone and their child dropped it, you replaced it. If a shake was too thin, you made it right," he said.
Somewhere around 1955 or '56, Foster's Freeze started offering 19-cent hamburgers, along with corn dogs, hot dogs and 39-cent steak sandwiches. "On Friday night after closing, we'd be out messing around and I'd drive in as my brother-in-law was driving out. I'd ask him, 'Hey, is the grill still hot?' " Powers says his parents did not know about these late night forays and wondered why it was so hard to turn a profit. "We ate the profits," he said.
Another thing that hurt business occurred when a new stretch of Highway 17 opened in the late 1950s, allowing people to bypass Los Gatos on the way to Santa Cruz. "It had a real significant impact on business," Powers said. "We couldn't rely on beach-goers anymore. I think the town itself suffered. For a long time we had a lot of empty businesses on Main Street."
Powers said they did more advertising and slowly built a new customer base. "They were all friends," Powers said. "You got to know them. I had a lot of friends back then."
Friends, fond memories and, for a few pennies, a Foster's Freeze cone.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
