Vella Farms shop, eatery reopens in new Modesto spot
Vella Farms, demolished by road wideners in northwest Modesto, has sprouted anew a few hundred feet away.
Owner Janice Vella reopened her bakery, delicatessen and gift shop at Vintage Gardens, an event center at Dale Road and Bangs Avenue.
She plans to revive fruit sales in the spring, when the 2010 crops start to ripen in the orchards that she still owns near the old Kiernan Avenue store.
For Vella, the venture is a way to carry on the legacy of her husband, Ron Vella, who farmed in the area for more than 60 years before his death in February.
“It’s been incredible — all these people who were our customers came back,” she said Friday. “I didn’t realize what an impact Vella Farms had made.”
The new business, known as Vella’s at Vintage Gardens, opened quietly in November and has had mainly word-of-mouth advertising, Vella said.
Vintage Gardens holds weddings and other events in a converted farmhouse and extensive outdoor space. Owner Bob Campana suggested to Vella that she revive her business there.
“I basically approached her and said, ‘It was such a great thing, why don’t we re-create that here?’ ” he said. Read complete article.
