Best Local Gift Card Ideas In Sacramento
By Steph Rodriguez
Sometimes, it's hard to buy the perfect gift for the ones you love during the holidays, so why not get them a gift card to one of Sacramento's most unique, locally owned businesses so they can pick up something special they're sure to love? From old-school toy emporiums, vintage clothing boutiques, historic movie theaters, records stores and specialty coffee shops, this list includes the very best local gift card ideas that will be the best stocking-stuffers.
Phono Select Records
2475 Fruitridge Road
Sacramento, CA 95822
(916) 400-3164
www.phonoselect.com
Open everyday from noon to 6 p.m. Phono Select Records has a large selection of both new and used records, tapes, CDs, books, magazines, toys, and T-shirts that span across every genre imaginable. Co-owner Dal Basi is known in Sacramento as an avid audiophile who will recommend something completely new to add to your music collection while at the same time helping you find a band in the same musical realm of your liking that is sure to be stuck on repeat. Inside its new location on Fruitridge Road, there are a few old-school arcade games and vintage toys on display, and sometimes, there's even live music from local and touring bands on the weekends. Stop by this wonderful Sacramento gem to pick up a few gift cards for the audiophiles in your family.
Temple Coffee Roasters
2829 S St.
Sacramento, Ca 95816
www.templecoffee.com
This locally owned coffee shop was named "Top 1 of 17 Coffee Roasters in the U.S." by CNN and Fortune Magazine in 2011. Now, Temple Coffee Roasters has five locations throughout Sacramento and Davis, Calif. with gourmet gift boxes and gift cards for that special someone or close family member on Santa's "Nice List." Founder and barista of Temple, Sean Kohmescher, opened his first coffee house in 2005 after he returned from a lengthy stay in Indonesia where he admired the temples he visited during his travels. Specialty coffee varieties to consider for your caffeine-loving friends and family members this holiday season include the Dharma Espresso Blend, for that proper early morning pick-me-up, the Three Pillars, known as a crisp and clean breakfast coffee, and for those who like the aroma and ritual of coffee drinking, but can't quite handle a lot of caffeine, recommend a bag of Decaffeinated beans sourced from the San Jose region of Colombia with its milk chocolate, citrus, and cherry notes.Racks Vintage Boutique
1822 24th St.
Sacramento, CA 95816
(916) 736-2853
www.facebook.com/RacksVintageBoutique
Racks Vintage Boutique located in Midtown sells and sources fashionable vintage threads for men and women. So it's the perfect gift card idea for the stylish one on your mind this winter. Plus, you can get the most chic dresses and dapper suites from past decades to really stand out on the dance floor just in time for New Year's Eve. From classic eras like the '40s and '50s with its cotton dresses with beautiful floral embroidery to eccentric garments with leather fringe from the '70s or sparkly, sequence tops from '80s, Racks has every memorable time period covered. Follow the shop on Instagram @RacksVintageBoutique to see local models dressed to the nine's in the latest unique threads owner Rachel Fowler finds during her vintage clothing hunts. Any item inside of Rack's is sure to satisfy myriad styles from the funky to the classic.
Related: Best Ravioli In Sacramento
G. Williker's! Toy Emporium
102 K St.
Sacramento, CA 95914
(916) 447-3623
www.stagenine.com/gwillikers
Sacramento's oldest, family owned toy store that's modeled after the good ol' days, G. Williker's! Toy Emporium opened in 2005 and filled the 3,000-square-foot store with just about every nostalgic toy imaginable. From the lovable characters of Disney's most treasured films to heroes and villains that make up the Star Wars Empire, G. Williker's is a sure one-stop shop to find that perfect gift for that special someone whether it's a child or a grown adult. This toy store's mission is to take the consumer back to the times where toys weren't about batteries or microchips, but rather about imagination and the magic of old-fashioned playtime. Pick up a gift card and make an afternoon out of finding the perfect toy or collectible in this classic toy store located in charming Old Sacramento.
Tower Theatre
2508 Land Park Drive
Sacramento, CA 95818
(916) 442-0985
www.readingcinemasus.com/tower
The most thoughtful gift card idea would be to buy memories versus things, so why not invest in a few date nights for your favorite couple? At almost 80 years old, the Tower Theatre is one of Sacramento's oldest movie theaters that showcases the very best in foreign and independent cinema. The neon, 100-foot-high tower outside of the art deco building beckons movie goers to relive the days where going to the theater was a special affair. What's more, adjacent to the Tower Theatre is the Tower Cafe, a cozy restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dinner and a movie is such a classic date-night combo; make it a reality for someone this holiday season.