SITE HISTORY*

Theodore Ebert came to Santa Cruz from Wisconsin and established The Quality Store with his brother, O. W. Ebert, and began selling groceries and dry goods in 1916 from this location at the corner of Soquel and Seabright Avenues.

At the time of construction, this location was fairly remote, but by the early 1920s, the Ebert’s business was booming as the commercial corridor along Soquel Avenue expanded. Theodore then bought out his brother and added a feed and fuel department to the store to increase profit. In 1928, the store was further expanded with a new grocery department, meat market, vegetable department, and soda fountain. The store was expanded westward along Soquel Avenue in the 1936 and then modernized in 1940 by Darrow Palmer. This modernization included a department store and dedicated supermarket. In 1949 a storage building was added which fronted Seabright Ave. (now demolished). In 1968, the store was once again remodeled. By the 1970s, the commercial building served as the home of Hart’s Fabric and, until 2008, Santa Cruz's Harley Davidson store.

Today its listed on the City of Santa Cruz Historic Building Survey and houses Lillian’s Italian Kitchen!

*From City of Santa Cruz Historic Building Survey DPR 523 form.