Then & Now: 609 Main St.

Formerly a sweet shop turned restaurant, once a hair salon and now Suisun’s only comic book store, Main Street just wouldn’t be the same without 609 Main St.’s brick walls and large glass windows.

Constructed in 1906, the store was remodeled in 1945 and was thought to originally house Ennors Bakery, Ice Cream and Candy Store where candy was made daily in the rear of the store, according to the book “The Heritage Collection, Sites, Structures and History of Fairfield and Vicinity.”

Not much is known about 609 Main St., but John Harter, current owner of has occupied this space for more than eight years and knows a little history about the building considering 609 Main St. has been owned by his family since 1940. Harter’s grandparents, Jimmy and Berscilla Ciambetti, bought the building from the former owners of a Japanese restaurant, who needed to sell the building because they were being sent to an internment camp, Harter explained.

The Ciambetti’s purchased the building in 1940 and opened The Mint, a bar and restaurant. The restaurant received a face-lift and the building was remodeled in 1945. Harter remembers the features changing from a more “art-deco glass brick” appearance to its present day features, minus the blue awning, he said. A gigantic fluorescent sign that was visible from the freeway lit up the area surrounding the restaurant and though the sign is no longer in working condition, Harter keeps the neon sign in his backyard for memories, he said.

Harter’s grandparents operated the business until 1990 when Berscilla Ciambetti retired. From 1991 to 2002, Scoundrels Salon occupied 609 Main St. then eventually went out of business. It was during these years that the blue awning, which served as the sign for Scoundrels Salon, was installed and completely changed the face of the building from its original appearance, Harter said.

Harter opened Waterfront Comics in 2003 and is the current occupant of 609 Main St., which carries more than 500,000 comic books. Harter hasn’t made any modifications to the building except for the name change on the awning. What once read “Scoundrals Salon” now reads “Comics.”