Andy’s Pet Shop — and its iconic sign — ready for a rebirth in San Jose

I’ve long had mixed feelings about the state of many of San Jose’s neon signs. It’s really great that some classics — the Stephens Meat dancing pig, Orchard Supply Hardware and Wings restaurant — have been restored and now have a home at History Park. But it’s also a sad reminder of the businesses we have lost.

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That’s not the case for Andy’s Pet Shop, though. Its original sign, festooned with a colorful scarlet macaw, has been restored and reinstalled just in time for the pet supply store’s grand re-opening Saturday at its new location at 425 S. Bascom Ave. The festivities from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. will include a ribbon cutting, giveaways, product demos and a barbecue — and lots of opportunities to see the restored sign.

New co-owner Jonny Rizo said he’s thrilled to see the sign back where it belongs.

“There are many changes that I have already made and many more to come, but the most significant has been the restoration of our iconic neon sign,” said Rizo, who worked at the store for former owner Lissa Shoun for several years.

Rizo, 29, had approached Shoun about buying the business previously but she wasn’t ready to say yes until earlier this year. The lease at 429 S. Bascom Ave. was ending, and Rizo was able to move into a larger space in the same building that previously had been occupied by a medical supply company.

“I felt such a big responsibility, and we have really good customers that’ve been coming to Andy’s for many, many years that I’ve made friends with,” Rizo said. “I haven’t been able to fully digest what’s happening.”

Andy’s was originally opened in 1950 by Andy and Geraldine Camilleri and was a constant presence on The Alameda at Julian Street for 60 years. Shoun became the owner in 2007, adding an animal rescue component and eventually moving the store to a downtown location at 51 Notre Dame Ave. in 2010. The sign wasn’t reinstalled at the new space, but people would get to see it every Fourth of July at the Rose, White & Blue Parade where it would be displayed on a flat-bed truck. When the shop moved again to Bascom, the sign was placed on the floor where it could be seen through the window.

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Rizo plans to continue some animal adoption programs, primarily with reptiles, as well as selling plants in addition to pet food and supplies. Yes, the shop has its “bug bar,” with insects that can be purchased for feeding reptiles and other critters, and there’s a store cat, Papí, who is usually wandering around. But there’s at least one other feature — besides the sign — that maintains Andy’s link to its history: Baby, a 40-year-old macaw who has been a resident of the store for about a decade.

“She’s our mascot,” Rizo said, “and she loves to talk.”

WARM DONATIONS: Temperatures may be on the high side this week, but we all know winter will eventually arrive. That’s why dozens of volunteers were at the Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center in Los Gatos on Tuesday, sorting hundreds of handmade blankets, sweaters, hats, quilts and other textiles to distribute to keep families a little warmer in a few months.

The Jewish Silicon Valley program is called Knitzvah, and its members are volunteers who have been making these items from donated yarn and materials for more than two decades. Tuesday’s “Knitzvah Big Sorting Day” was the group’s first get-together after a summer break. Now, all the items they sorted will be donated to about 20 organizations including Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley, Bill Wilson Center, Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence, the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, HomeFirst and relief efforts for wildfire and flood victims throughout the state.

“This is what community looks like — dozens of hands, hundreds of hours, and thousands of handmade gifts going straight to neighbors who need warmth this winter,” Jewish Silicon Valley Knitzvah Volunteer Chair Lynn Ann Levi said. “Knitzvah has been repairing the world one stitch at a time for 21 years and today reminded me why we keep doing it.”

ANNIVERSARY ON WHEELS: The 20th annual Santos Family Car Show once again brought about 3,000 car lovers to Alviso last Saturday. This year’s show was dedicated to the memory of Tony Allan Santos, who founded the show and helped grow it over the years. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, Santa Clara County Supervisor Otto Lee and Assemblymember Alex Lee presented the Santos family with commendations for the milestone.

The show featured more than 500 vintage vehicles and raised about $6,500 through a raffle for the Santa Visits Alviso scholarship program.

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