1868 started out on a sour note -- on January 18th, Brinn & Newman's store was robbed of goods valued at $1,000.

Three years later, Brinn took his brother Nathan Brinn on as a partner in the business. It's not clear whether Newman stayed a partner at this time, but by 1872 letterhead from the business shows that Jacob Newman is a partner. A receipt (click here) shows the partners are selling groceries, provisions, liquors, hardware, crockery, furniture and all kinds of feed.

Fire was a regular and devestating visitor to many Mother Lode towns, and in 1881 a fire again swept through the east side of Main Street, north of Eureaka. An invoice from the store during this period (click here) shows that Morris's brother Nathan is again involved in the business.

Two years later, Brinn has expanded and is also operating a store in Amador City with a partner named G.W. Hewitt.

Five years later, in 1888, fire again swept through the east side of Main Street, destroying every building except two brick buildings north of Brinn's store and a house next to Sutter Creek.

Brinn's building had the interior gutted, and the wooden framing and all the goods inside the store were destroyed. Brinn immediately rebuilt.

In 1897, Nathan and brother Morris Brinn are in business again, and are now insurance salesmen as well as purveyors of general merchandise (click here). Morris finally sells the property to Anunzio Malatesta on October 28, 1909. The Malatesta's name is still on the building to this day.

Annuzio Malatesta operated the family business until his death on December 25, 1915. Upon his death, his son Alfred, who was born in San Francisco on December 13, 1894, took over the business of the family store. Alfred operated the store for over 40 years.

Ron Olivero bought the building in the 1980s and operated Boatworks Pizza. In 1996 Jerry Budrick, formerly of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA, bought the property and later opened Caffè Via d'Oro.

Budrick sold the property to The Griffin Company in April 21, 2005, and the restaurant was immediately shut down for a complete renovation.

While the building we know today as The Malatesta Building was never built for a specific purpose, it seems destined to be involved with food. Upon the completion of renovation, the building will once again be home to some of the best food to be found in Sutter Creek.