For most students, we love any place we can find convenient snacks and meals, but we often go to fast-food chains because we don’t know of any local businesses to support.
A great day to try out some family-run shops is Small Business Saturday, which encourages customers to invest in their community businesses after Black Friday.
Supporting small businesses allows consumer money to stay within the local economy, and better yet, community restaurants are able to cater directly to the customers in their area. Small Business Saturday is on Nov. 25 this year, but these establishments are open year round!
Domino’s vs. Mama Petrillo’s
Domino’s Pizza has hundreds of locations around the country, with the closest on Oak Avenue and Las Tunas. Aside from pizza, they offer some pasta and salad choices as well.
Their food is quick and convenient, but the Temple City location only offers takeout and delivery.
One helpful feature of Domino’s is online ordering, which allows customers to customize their pizzas on a website before delivery.
If you’re willing to spend a bit more for high quality food, Mama Petrillo’s is an iconic Temple City business known for its authentic Italian food and delicious pizza. In addition to pizza, it offers pasta, salads, specialty entrees and more.
Diners can choose a wide variety of customizations for their pizza and pasta, which they can eat in the restaurant or take out from 4 p.m to 9 p.m.
85°C vs Cloverleaf
85°C Bakery Cafe is an international bakery chain with its closest locations in Alhambra and Pasadena.
The Pasadena location is spacious, brightly lit and filled with sweet and savory pastries along with cakes and other treats.
Students usually go there for the large selection of fresh bread and their sea salt coffee drinks, which they sell for 85 cents on Mondays. However, even the closest locations are still several miles away and difficult for high school students to access.
There is a lot of seating available, but the atmosphere is loud and disruptive enough that few people stay to do work there; most customers just go to the Pasadena location for a break from shopping in Old Pasadena.
Cloverleaf Bakery, located on the corner of Las Tunas and Cloverly, is a local combination of all that high school students in the 626 love: study spots and sweets.
Customers can have a seat at the counter, indoor tables or the outdoor patio to enjoy their fresh pastries, boba and coffee drinks. Unlike 85°C, they also offer sandwiches and cupcakes which make Cloverleaf seem more like a cafe than a simple Asian bakery.
Compared to 85°C, the atmosphere is quieter and more study-friendly. The convenient location also makes Cloverleaf a much more accessible place for high school students.
Not only does Cloverleaf offer free wifi, TCHS students with an ASB card can also get 10% off their purchase. Simply show Cloverleaf your ASB card, and enjoy fresh bread, coffee, tea and pastries with a discount!
El Ruizeñor Grill vs Chipotle Mexican Grill
El Ruizeñor delivers a classic Mexican experience from the simple and warm decor to the reasonably priced food.
Located on Temple City Boulevard just before Workman Avenue, El Ruizenor offers many dishes that vary from basic Mexican cuisine to their own creative approach, both of which taste phenomenal.
At El Ruizeñor, the $9.99 “Roger” burrito is a delicious medley of carne asada, chicken and carnitas that is guaranteed to excite your taste buds.
Chipotle, a modern, edgy Mexican restaurant allows customers to choose from a salad, bowl or burrito. Chipotle has quite filling, generous servings and is located nearby at the corner of Rosemead Boulevard and Las Tunas Drive.
However, Chipotle should not be considered authentic Mexican cuisine simply because their food doesn’t deliver the comfort and kick that is necessary in Mexican dishes. Their burritos have too much going on, making it difficult to appreciate the ingredients.
The fact that the food is mixed together is inauthentic because Mexican dishes contain separate aspects that add to the overall experience. The next time you are craving an authentic Mexican dish, opt for El Ruizeñor instead of a basic fast food chain like Chipotle.
TCHS School Newspaper