O
ne might consider Grinds,
Vines and Automobilia
(GVA) an odd combination for a local cafe…but not if you
consider the source, Reina or Renee Carrillo. Renee is not
odd, however—she is exceptional!. She is one of those
unusual people everyone should have the good fortune to
get to know on this journey through life.
Reina, “the queen” in Spanish, is known locally as Renee.
She is a bundle of energy, positivity and vision. Her outlook
on life is refreshing and inspiring. Renee describes herself
as “the greatest dreamer” who is forever seeking bigger and
better things “to bring happiness to life.” GVA Café is one of
her dreams come true. Grinds obviously is a link to the great
coffee served at GVA; Vines is a connection to the wine (and
beer) available. But the bond with Automobilia was uniquely
Renee’s and one she shares now with her patrons. As a kid
growing up in East LA she spent many happy hours with her
grandfather while he worked on cars. That was a happy place
for her and she seeks to communicate that feel in GVA Café.
Motorheads will understand why she has kept and cherished
his creeper all these years!
Things were not easy in East LA. A large extended family,
not much money and the lack of legal status made for
difficult times. One message got through to young Renee.
She needed to get a job with the ultimate goal of becoming
self-employed. Something she did accomplish. Eventually
she was able to legalize her citizenship issues and became
employed in retail. She rose to several management positions
but never forgot her goal to own her own business. Along
the way she also worked in several local restaurants until
she was able to open GVA Café in 2012.
GVA Café is located in the historic Votaw Building on the
corner of Second and Monterey in downtown Morgan Hill.
GVA Café is open Tuesdays through Sundays. Their fair trade
coffee is great and the salads and sandwiches are made fresh.
The gelato case is not to be missed. GVA Café also does
catering.
Renee is an exceptionally positive person who has blown
through several devastating experiences in the last few years.
A little over a year ago she was diagnosed with some serious
health issues. So what did she do? She took a week off and
went to New York! She had never been to NY and needed to
make the trip just in case the prognosis was as ominous as
the doctors described. In her own words:
“It’s been a year since I had the health scare of my life! Without
thinking twice I took a plane in the middle of the night on my way
to a bucket list I didn’t want to die and never see! New York you
were the best yet the toughest trip not knowing if I’d ever see you
again! Well I’m healthy and look forward to seeing you again!
Only this time when I land I will cry my eyes out because I am
able to return and these will be tears of joy!
I LOVE YOU NEW YORK!!” (Facebook June 26, 2019)
Almost immediately after returning from New York a
water leak on the second floor shut down the café and the
GVA music venue next door. With courage, energy and
an excessively positive attitude she overcame her health
issues, the renovation, and reopened GVA Café. The GVA
music venue is on hold for now. As time allows Renee is
reintroducing the auto details that had been in storage
during the reconstruction.
Surprisingly, when Renee talks about the things that
make her happy, it is not her lust for life, her affability, her
energy, her interaction with people, her love of music but it
is the joy she feels when someone enjoys the food she has
prepared. In fact, Renee admits that in a perfect world she
would like to attend the Culinary Institute of America and
finish there with some sort of degree and lots of food skills.
The staff like to see empty plates returned. If there is some-
thing still left on the plate, staff discreetly try to find out
why. Satisfaction is sought!
Another hallmark of Renee and GVA Café is a commit-
ment to the community. She makes sure she, the staff and
the Café are involved and the effort is returned by the many
locals who describe GVA as their coffee shop.
What does the future hold for GVA Café? Renee wants
to continue working with new employees. She encourages
them to work with focus and energy while encouraging
them to move on to bigger and better things. People should
not work at GVA forever. She pushes them to learn from the
experience and move on. There is also a good chance the
music elements of GVA Café will return but there are no
definite plans at this time. There is also a good possibility
that there might be a GVA Café #2 somewhere soon.
But more than anything, Renee sees a future where her
daughter, Sam, and young people will be the future owners
of GVA Café…or something even better!
It is all about the future generation, a positive attitude and community!
Thank you, Renee, for making this journey of life a little bit better.
82
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
august/september 2019
gmhtoday.com