Bernardo Shoe Repair: Proprietor follows in father’s footsteps
Matt Zampella is serious about his shoes. As a high-end real estate agent, he has to be. After all, would you buy a house from a guy who wears funky shoes?
That’s one reason why, for more than two years, Matt’s been rolling into Bernardo Shoe Repair once or twice a week for a fresh shine, and why he trusts proprietor Benito G. Melo to handle any repairs they may need.
“He does a great job, and the price is right,” Matt says during a recent visit. “He does all my work. … He’s honest, I trust his judgment, and he always makes time for me.”
You’ll see lots of similar praise for Benito’s work on Yelp. One woman, Kaytlin K., says she drives in from Santa Cruz to get her shoes fixed. More than one raved that Bernardo Shoe Repair made their beat-up boots look as good as new. A.L., of San Mateo, stopped by on a Monday, when the store is closed. The person didn’t notice the sign and knocked on the door when it was locked. Then the person saw the sign. To the customer’s amazement, Benito opened the door and took care of the shoe problem right then.
But maybe the most striking Yelp review was submitted by sports car enthusiast Alan L., of Mountain View, who came to Bernardo Shoe Repair with “an unusual request—installing a short zipper in a gear shift boot for my Alfa Romeo Spyder. The work done was meticulous, accurate, and professional. A plus is that the owner is not only smart, he's a jovial gentleman, and fun to do business with.”
Maybe it shouldn’t be so surprising that Benito was able to fix the hood for the gear shift lever. After all, doctors recognize his abilities and often refer their patients to Bernardo. For example, people whose legs are of somewhat different lengths may need their orthotics repaired, or specially built soles to make sure their gait is comfortable and stable.
"I get a very good feeling when I see that people with really bad foot problems are happy that they can wear their shoes again,” he says. “I get a lot of satisfaction out of that.”
A born cobbler
Benito has been in the shoe repair business his whole life, learning the craft at his father’s cobbler’s bench in Mexico. “I’ve never done anything else,” he says.
In the U.S., he worked for someone else for a while, but he likes being his own boss. So, he opened his own place in late 1996, at Bernardo Avenue (thus the name of the shop) and El Camino in Sunnyvale. He moved to Town and Country for a while, but when the venerable downtown shopping center failed, he set up shop where he is now, at 245 Mathilda Ave.
Outstanding service
In the finest tradition of cobblers everywhere, Bernardo Shoe Repair will never be mistaken for a gilded Trump Tower and Casino. But the shop’s humble looks shouldn’t deter anyone looking for quality materials and top-notch craftsmanship.
“I use the best materials out there that I can get,” he says. “They do cost me more, and I could get cheaper ones. But I don’t like using those. I could save a few bucks, but the customer loses. So, I use the best materials and give the best service. Plus, I clean and polish every shoe that comes in, no charge.”
Stop by and see for yourself.