Placerville businesses adapt as triple-digit heat wave roasts Northern California
PLACERVILLE — Businesses in Northern California's Sierra Foothills continue to battle through the heatwave to keep customers and themselves cool.
It's typically cooler up in the foothills, but the degree decrease doesn't make a huge difference when temperatures are in in triple digits.
"We're lucky enough that when we purchased the building, we tore down everything that wasn't originally built in 1855 and built up everything basically from the bottom," Dean Hiatt, the executive chef at Poor Red's Bar-B-Q, said.
Hiatt is very familiar with the hot summers in the foothills and said he knew he needed to create a comfortable environment for his employees and his customers.
"New A/C's, new compressors, new lines for all of our cold beers, two outside bars," Hiatt said.
A drink was even created more than 50 years ago called the "Golden Cadillac." It was made for a couple traveling through town and now serves as a staple drink to help cool people off.
"He comes up with this concoction of White Crème De Cacao, Galiano, half and half, ice, and blends it in a metal blender," Hiatt said.
Alex Stone is the owner of Main Street Melters and aside from a few seats at the bar inside, they rely heavily on their outdoor seating.
"It definitely slows us down a little bit for sure. Luckily, we have a lot of good, loyal customers that will come in and hang outside," Stone said.
They've been open for 10 years and Stone said for the first several years, they didn't have A/C inside.
"We would just be running around sweating our you know what off," Stone said.
Now, they have A/C inside and he said even with the uncomfortable weather, they manage to get by.
"I put up my mister and we just deal with it," Stone said.
El Dorado County has cooling centers open until July 12 at the following locations:
- Placerville Libary from noon to 7 p.m. (Leashed and kenneled pets allowed)
- El Dorado Community Health Center from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Pioneer Park from noon to 7 p.m.
