Esther's Good Eats has new owners, soon to have new name

Frank Sharples had a dream of owning a coffee shop in downtown Yuma and now he does. He and wife Fran are the new owners of Esther's Good Eats at 133 S. Madison Ave. For now it's business as usual with the couple serving up the homemade sandwiches, soups, salads and desserts that Esther's was noted for.

But they have big plans for the little shop. Effective Sept. 1, the name will be changed to The Lighthouse Coffee Bar and Bistro (website thelighthousecoffee.com is coming soon). “After all, we're not Esther (Esther Markle, who started the business in 2007),” remarked Frank.

The new name reflects the addition of an espresso bar the Sharpleses plan to add come winter. They also intend to expand the hours of the shop that now is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. And with evening hours, they plan to offer live music on occasion. The business can be reached at 783-7000.

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There's a new sign where Nature's Express had been located at 2905 S. 4th Ave. announcing the new tenant will be Blue Fin Sushi. Stay tuned for more details.

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The new FedEx Express package sorting and retail center at 289 W. 40th St. near the corner of 4th Avenue extension will open for business Monday. At 5,000 square feet, the retail center is much larger and more convenient for customers, with easy access and lots of parking. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturdays.

The new center also will make life easier for employees, noted Bill Bond, regional manager for FedEx. Located adjacent to Yuma International Airport, the new facility features modern sorting equipment and more parking for air freight aircraft.

It replaces the former FedEx retail center near Fortuna Road and 32nd Street.

The new facility was constructed by LPC Construction and is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified project, designed and built for improved energy savings.

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Just in time for school, AmeriSchools received a temporary certificate of occupancy for the former DES building at 1220 S. 4th Ave. the charter school purchased and renovated for expansion.

In other city of Yuma building activity, Alan Kircher, deputy building official, reported:

• Tenant improvements for Boost Mobile have been completed inside Del Sol Market and 3rd Street and 4th Avenue.

• A permit has been issued for tenant improvements at Copper Plaza, 1325 W. 16th St., Suite 3, for a new office for Dr. Peter Spanganberg, an oral surgeon whose practice is known as Sonoma Oral and Facial Surgery. He has been coming to Yuma from Gilbert monthly to see patients at 16th Street Dental Care (the family dental practice of Dr. Matthew Roper and Dr. Nathan McLaws). With the coming expansion of his practice into his own office next door, he will be in Yuma more frequently. Both practices can be reached at 782-3839.

• A permit also has been issued for the construction of Tuscany Surgical Center at Tuscany Plaza, Lot 28. Tuscany Plaza is located at the corner of Avenue B and 28th Street.

• Plans are back in review for a Fuel Center at the Fry's in Yuma at 4th Avenue and 24th Street. The plans had been in review in 2010 but placed on hold.

• Plans have been submitted for some interior renovations at the Kachina Medical Complex, 2451 S. Avenue A. The complex, which includes two buildings with multiple spaces for medical offices and services, had been purchased by Yuma Regional Medical Center for room to grow as it expands and develops services.

• Steel framing is coming out of the ground for the Customs and Border Protection Aviation Center under construction on the west side of the Yuma International Airport.

• Plans have been submitted for Veterans Affairs administrative offices at the Whitman building located on 16th Street next to Ninja Sushi.

• Plans are in review for a second multitenant building at the Cielo Verde Shopping Center next to the Foothills-area Walmart, 32nd Street and Avenue 8E. Cielo Verde Retail Shops B will have 8,300 square feet and be located just west of and parallel to the existing building. It will include a drive-through for a fast-food restaurant. The building is now under bid, and construction could start by fall.

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Happy Trails at 802 W. 19th St. in Yuma has been renamed and is under new management as it looks to go in a new direction with a big focus on academics. It's now Desert Trails Learning Center and Daycare, with Sonia Salcido as the new child care manager.

Salcido has worked in a licensed center in Yuma for more than 10 years and has CDA and Preschool Education Certification as well as a bachelor's degree in social work and studies in deafness.

The center is state-licensed, DES-approved and a participant in First Things First. It is open from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and can be reached at 329-9109.

Meanwhile, Happy Trails Preschool continues to operate at 11607 S. Fortuna Road and can be reached at 345-9199.

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The Bank of America ATM located at 11274 S. Fortuna Road in the Pioneer Shopping Center will be staying in its current location, reported a spokeswoman for Underhill Transfer Company that owns the center.

Readers had questioned the fate of the ATM site with the move last week by Fry's to its new grocery store on South Frontage Road in the Foothills.

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As for what will go into the space at the shopping center previously occupied by Fry's, it's no deep, dark secret. Fry's, which still holds a lease for the space, continues to market the space for a tenant, said Pam Giannonatti, spokeswoman for the grocery chain. So far, no inked deals.

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Springleaf Financial Services is having a grand opening and open house Friday. The office is at 1150 S. Castle Dome Ave., Suite C, in the same complex with Bed, Bath & Beyond and Party City.

The occasion is a celebration of the office's new ownership and name. It had previously been owned by American General Financial Services.

But that's all that has changed — clients can expect the same services by the same employees. The phone number remains 329-7065.

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Southwest Heart and Vascular Care has moved to 2692 S. Avenue B, Suite 1. The medical practice of Dr. Noel Gutierrez and Dr. Adrienne Gutierrez can be reached at 783-5857. The incorrect address was reported in last week's Comings and Goings.

Report Comings and Goings to jlobeck@yumasun.com or call Joyce Lobeck at 539-6853.