Downtown SLO names ‘outstanding’ business, property owner. Here’s who won
Owning property and running a business in downtown San Luis Obispo can often be a thankless task — but downtown stakeholders recently gathered to offer recognition to some of the best among them.
During the Downtown SLO association’s State of Downtown event March 2, two local names were recognized as the organization’s most “outstanding”: Quaglino Enterprises and Linnaea’s Cafe.
The awards, which went to a downtown property owner and a downtown business, respectively, were the first time in recent history the organization has recognized its members in such a way. Both winners were selected and voted on by Downtown SLO’s board of directors.
“Pre-2020, our organization gave out ‘Beautification Awards,’” Downtown SLO marketing and communications manager Rachel Lackmann told The Tribune. “These new awards are our reimagined way of recognizing those who have put countless hours, passion and investment into making our downtown vibrant.”
Downtown SLO property owner named ‘Outstanding Property Owner’
According to Lackmann, Quaglino Enterprises was recognized “because of the care that they put into their multiple large and small commercial properties downtown.”
“They play a vital role in downtown SLO’s cleanliness, partnerships and vitality,” she said.
Downtown SLO event manager Maggie Kovach presented the award to developer Adam Quaglino during the State of Downtown event, saying the organization was “thrilled to honor for the first time a property owner whose long-standing investment and commitment have played a vital role in supporting a vibrant, thriving downtown community.”
“This property owner is a supporter of our local businesses, celebrates partnerships and has a deep belief in the future of downtown San Luis Obispo,” Kovach said.
Quaglino was surprised by the award announcement, with Kovach saying he had not been informed he would be called up prior to that moment.
As he took the stage, a smiling Quaglino thanked the crowd and said he was glad to be there that night.
“San Luis Obispo is where I was born and raised,” he said. “It’s in our blood, right? We want to be a success. And the people that write articles outside the area, they have no idea if you see paper on windows, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there was a bad business or something bad happened. There’s always a story, there’s always a reason, and we’re finding day-to-day how to make our town great.”
Linnaea’s owners named ‘Outstanding Business’
After announcing the couple would be the vendor in charge of the incoming bodega kiosk at Mission Plaza, Rusty and Alex Quirk of Linnaea’s Cafe got another shoutout during the March 2 event when it was revealed they had won 2025 Outstanding Business of the Year.
According to Lackman, Linnaea’s Cafe was selected not just because of the Quirks’ two new spaces set to open this year — SLOdega at Mission Plaza and Villain Bakery on Marsh Street — but also because of “their business model built on community, inclusivity and art.”
During the State of Downtown event, Downtown SLO operations coordinator Amy Moe said the award was to “celebrate a downtown business whose legacy began over three decades ago.”
“Undergoing transformation over the years, including ownership, this business has continued to build a legacy with an emphasis on community building,” Moe said. “We’re so grateful for their contributions and look forward to what’s in store.”
The day after the event, the pair told The Tribune they had been shocked by the recognition.
“Something I’m just reflecting on is we’ve owned this business for three years, and especially the first year was really, really tough,” Rusty Quirk said. “We were working like 90 hours a week, and were still very not sure that business was going to survive. And since then, we’ve worked more reasonable hours, but still work almost always seven days a week, and put pretty much everything we’ve had into it, both by efforts and everything else.
She added: “So it was kind of a very gratifying moment that like, ‘Oh, it’s cool. Other people appreciate us too.’ ... It’s meant so much to us.”
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