
Roller skaters are about to take their last turn around the Aloha Roller Rink in Eastridge Center, with the location closing next month after six years.
Aloha Fun Center owner Liz Ruiz said the San Jose roller rink had an incredible run at the mall after what was supposed to be just a short stint as a pop-up venue. There was always a possibility the roller rink would be replaced by another business at Eastridge Center willing to pay more for the space. Although its last day is Feb. 23, Luiz is searching for a new home.
"The pop-up was only supposed to be a two-month deal, but the community response was so enormous that the mall said, 'We think you should stay,'" she told San Jose Spotlight. "It was never a long-term contract so we knew the day would come where they'd find someone who can pay market-rate (rent)."
The space is about twice the size of what the Aloha Roller Rink needs, Ruiz said, describing her relationship with Eastridge Center as a "sweetheart deal."
Eastridge Center general manager John Petersen said Aloha Roller Rink has been a fantastic addition to the mall over the past seven years.
"A new business will be opening later this year in this space," he told San Jose Spotlight. "This new business is not currently prepared to make a public announcement at this time, but will do so in the near future."
Aloha Roller Rink first opened in 1977 as the Aloha Roller Palace on Blossom Hill Road before closing in 2014. Luiz fell in love with skating at the Aloha as she played roller derby for the Silicon Valley Roller Girls about 10 years ago. She said she wanted to save the business from closing because San Jose residents love recreational activities that bring people together like roller skating -- and need a place to do it. In 2015, Ruiz revived the business as a pop-up at various locations, putting on events such as Roosevelt Roller Hockey. Then in 2018, mall operators approached Ruiz to reopen and it has lasted for six years.
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Roller skating among dozens of people Thursday, Jaelynn Martinez said she's made new friends at the Aloha, and the regulars have built a community around the rink. She said she would have to travel to Santa Cruz to the next closest roller rink without the Aloha.
"I was here every day during the summer and I still come out twice a week," she told San Jose Spotlight. "Everyone's in their own groove or learning new moves, but we're all here to support each other."
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Ruiz said she's been looking for a new spot for years, but identifying affordable buildings with the correct pillar spacing, along with other factors, has proven difficult.
"Everyone's asking where our future location is going to be," Ruiz told San Jose Spotlight. "I will say that I'm focusing my search on the South Bay. I hope by the time we actually close at the end of February that I have solidified enough things to put together a projected timeline. My goal is still to own a location at some point, I feel like owning the building is the only way to truly preserve skating for the community and it ensures we won't be priced out by a landlord."
Araceli Pina said her mom suggested she apply for a job at the Aloha when it reopened in 2018. Pina's six years on the job just ended as the roller rink comes to a close and she returns to school. She described the upcoming closure as a bittersweet moment, but said she hopes the Aloha finds a new place.
"The connections I've built with the regulars, the kids who've grown up here, their parents and especially my coworkers -- they mean so much to me. It's not just a job," she told San Jose Spotlight. "The music, the lights and the sound of skates on the floor, it becomes part of your soul. It's a rhythm that you carry with you long after you leave."
Eileen Hansen, a fan of the roller rink, said San Jose needs more places where people can meet and do safe group activities.
"Not only is skating healthy for the body and improves balance, it also requires people to be aware of each other and stay in the moment," she told San Jose Spotlight. "Plus, it's fun."
Editor's note: This story was originally published by San Jose Spotlight.