Also noticed tonight that Alberto's across from the Post Office is also closed...

I still miss Coldstone Creamery:(

Perhaps we need to bring back the "Shop Santee and Save" campaign.

Shop Santee and Save: East County's lowest sales tax city
"The Santee Chamber, in partnership with the City of Santee, has launched "Shop Santee and Save" to market Santee as a more affordable shopping destination, and to encourage residents to shop locally for better savings.
On April 1, 2009, the statewide sales tax increased by 1%, increasing San Diego County's base tax rate from 7.75% to 8.75%. The City of La Mesa's sales tax increased to 9.5%, and the City of El Cajon's rate increased to 9.75%, making Santee the lowest sales tax in East County.
Look for the "Shop Santee and Save" logo displayed by Santee businesses to promote this program."

Santee Chamber of Commerce. (2009). Shop Santee and Save: East County's lowest sales tax city.
Retrieved from http://shopsanteeandsave.com/

I agree that we need to bring back "Shop Santee & Save." There has been more than just two business's that have closed in Santee in the past month. The Beauty Supply in the same center as the Hallmark store also closed.

Seeing Quiznos close is sad for the community. Reading Jim and Diane's note broke our hearts. As business owners ourselves we know the blood, sweat, & tears that go into a business and our prayers go out to them. While we all want to support keeping business in Santee, we hope all read the line in their note about their other location in El Cajon. They supported Santee for a long time and I am sure they would love the support at their other store during this difficult period.
Janis & Ryan, Oggi's Santee

Alyssa and Janet - I am on board! My husband and I moved here about a year ago and try to frequent Santee business at every opportunity!!! We always went to that Quiznos and like the owners but could see that business was slow. Even the Olive Garden manager told us once that Santee has the biggest Olive Garden in San Diego county but it makes the least revenue - we like going there because of the BIG GLASSES OF WINE (yum). Now that the 52 is completed it seems like getting folks into Santee would be a little easier?! If the city council or chamber of commerce isn't going to start something a grass roots effort could work?? Start a Facebook group page and twitter feed highlighting deals in Santee in an effort to educate and encourage folks on why they should 'try' Santee.

It's sad that Santee can't support a respectable business like Hallmark, but can support the cheap check-cashing place next door to it. Seriously, doesn't Santee have a cap on the number of check-cashing places-if they don't, maybe we should look into. Check-cashing and bail-bonds establishments aren't going to move our city 'up.'

I spoke to Jim, every time I went into Quizno's. Great customer service and food. I also frequent Submarina, which itself has great customer service and food. Submarina is in a crappy old shopping-center which the developer refuses to put any money into. Quizno's however, was in a great newer shopping center. Yet, Submarina is always packed, and poor Quizno's struggled for customers. What gives?

Sign of the times Patrick.

Lowlifes that frequent check cashing places, ugly liquor stores, etc are taking over.

I don't think they're taking over, but they definitely gotta be kept in check. That's why more move-up housing (and no I'm not talking Fanita Ranch-that's a long-time away), is so important. We need more nice condo's like the new one's next to the Santee Sports Center. They bring a higher-end resident, and are usually younger with more spending money. But the Santee City Council needs to take a closer look at putting a cap on check-cashing places, liquor stores and bail-bonds places-they just contribute to blight and bring down a community.

Patrick,

I agree with your thoughts completely except I will add that more condos instead of single family homes means a higher density of people living in a given area which has it's own set of negative impacts on a community.

There are a few other issues that contribute to blight, one in particular in Santee that are not being addressed by the Mayor or City Council.

I was at the Town Center Mall yesterday and saw three seperate degenerates, most likely homeless from their appearance hangig around the trolley station area. I really hate to see that as I know that it usually means someone's car will get broken into or some shoplifting or some other crime.

I wish people would stop trashing the lower-class people who live here. I am a lifelong Santee resident, & I actually preferred it when Santee was more a mixture of working-class/middle class families. I think Santee has lost a lot of its' character since all the upper-class people moved in. I also get tired of feeling embarrassed when I tell people I live in Santee. I feel like they assume I am some upper-class, bigoted Tea Party member.

Jennifer - I'm with you.

Motivated Santee Citizen and PatrickB - The best way for citizens to control the types of businesses they want in Santee is through their wallets. I choose to spend my dollars at local businesses that I want to succeed.

It is unfortunate when locally owned businesses (even franchises like Quiznos, Hallmark and Cold Stone) don't make it.

It is sad when businesses go under, but the harsh reality is that Santee DID vote with their wallets and apparently the market decided that we didn't need a Hallmark, a Quiznos or another Mexican restaurant.

Sounds like the rent in this center is too high. I wonder why landlords don't lower their rents when they know that their renters are making a lot less money?

Coldstone Creamery missed a rent payment, & that's why they are no longer in the mall. Strange, because the place always seemed to do well. Maybe the rent* is* too high?

-Motivated Santee Citizen: I wholeheartedly agree-the city and sheriff need to crackdown on these low-lifes. I can't tell you how many times I've been pan-handled in the Santee Trolley Center. They come off the trolley, and the Sheriff substation is absolutely no deterrent.

-Tammy Lyn Smith: I'm sorry if it appeared I'm trashing lower middle-class residents, as I'm not. I too, grew up in this community in a middle-class /blue-collar family. But the sad truth of the matter is, in this day and age, if a middle-class community stays stagnant and doesn't move-up, then low-lifes move in and drag the community down. This is exactly what happened with middle-class communities like El Cajon, Spring Valley and Lemon Grove. They are rapidly becoming gang-infested, graffiti-covered barrios. So, while I fondly remember the Santee I grew up in, it will never be that way again, and I'd rather strive towards being a Poway, than a Spring Valley.

So sad to hear about Quiznos closing. We ate there frequently and the workers were always friendly and efficient; of course, the sandwiches were amazing and delicious (so much better than their main competitor). I guess I'll have to leave Santee to visit their El Cajon store when I need a Quiznos fix.

I sure hope the economy sees an upturn soon. I'm still disappointed that Papa Murphy's Pizza closed, and that seems like ages ago.

My family and I used to eat at Quiznos quite often. Maybe the rent is too high as stated by a previous post?

Tammy, You and you alone made your assumption that by degenerates I was referring to people of a particular income. By degenerates I meant obvious lowlife, degenerate scum that is filthy, most likely drunk or high and looking to commit a crime of some sort. A female trolley security guard was watching them like a hawk, so I must not have been the only one to be concerned by their presence.

I don't assume just because someone is low income that they are a lowlife. Some really great people are low income and alot of people with high incomes are terrible people. Look at all of the scumbag Lawyers, Doctors, Executives, Politicians, etc. Most,but not all lowlifes are in fact low income due to the fact that they are lowlifes and obviously can't get a decent job as such.

Didn't anyone notice the Hallmark closed because the owner RETIRED? Had nothing to do with business in Santee. They closed all the Patti's Hallmark locations.

Wow : Chinese Buffet, Hallmark, Quiznos, Coldstone, La Salsa mexican food, Alberto's mexican food, Papa Murphy's Pizza, Jimano's Pizza, beauty supply store ALL CLOSED within 6 months in Santee.
I do not think it has anything to do with upper or lower middle class or Tea party bigots. Remember Klantee. Watch out for big name closing, my guess next in line is Roadhouse grill

If Patti's Hallmark was successful, the stores would have easily been sold. Quiznos is a scam that bleeds it's owners dry. Do a search and see the truth about these corporate lowlifes. More Quiznos have closed than any other fast-food franchise. They couldn't even keep their company owned stores profitable and had to shut them down. Cold Stone is a twin of Quiznos as far as ethics. Both have tons of lawsuits against them.