WHAT'S NEW AT HOBEE'S

Pruneyard and Los Gatos fans joined us for a very special evening on Thursday, April 29. That night, Hobee's donated 25% of all dinner proceeds at those sites to Dining Out for Life, benefiting The Health Trust, Santa Clara County's primary AIDS resource provider. Meanwhile, Palo Alto and Stanford diners joined us that same evening as we donated 15% of the evening's dinner proceeds to The Lucille Packard Children's Hospital, the world-class facility that provides care to children from Silicon Valley and beyond. By the end of the evening, Hobee's collected over $ 700.00 for these vital organizations.  Thanks to all of you who participated!

HOBEE’S FEATURED IN ANNUAL EASTER PARADE 

HOBEE’S PRUNEYARD NAMED 
CAMPBELL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR!



Campbell Mayor Even Low (left), a longtime Hobee’s supporter, came in with a delegation from
The Campbell Chamber of Commerce to deliver the surprise.   

It is with great pleasure that we announce that Hobee’s Pruneyard has been named 2009 Campbell Business of the Year.  Campbell Mayor Evan Low and a delegation from The Chamber of Commerce delivered the good news in person during lunch on January 12. 

Citing Hobee’s support of area charities including the Campbell Kiwanis Club and City of Campbell Recreation, Mayor Low said that Hobee’s was a model corporate citizen and a favorite destination for Campbell residents and workers.  Hobee’s was honored at a special ceremony on March 26 at Villa Ragusa.

We are so fortunate that we continue to receive accolades like this as we begin our 36th year.  We give our sincere thanks to the hard-working, dedicated Pruneyard crew for making this recognition possible.  General Manager Felipe Zarate and Kitchen Manager Antonio Amaya lead a terrific team, many of whom have over a decade of service with Hobee’s.  Their daily commitment to excellence makes us all very proud!   

                             

          Campbell Mayor Evan Low congratulates Hobee's president                      The proud Hobee's gang poses with various governmental   
           Edward Fike.                                                                                            proclamations.

2010 LOOKING LIKE A GOOD, GOOD YEAR!

The Black Eyed Peas can enjoy their good night.  Hobee's aims to make the good times last all year.  We're off to a great start in 2010.  Readers of The Daily News kicked off the good vibes by naming Hobee's Best Service by a restaurant in the entire Peninsula.  What we love about this honor is that it recognizes that you don't have to be a white table cloth establishment or have extensive wine knowledge to give great service.  It's really all about a caring, attentive attitude.

We're also enjoying our mention in Dawn Thomas' highly entertaining blog "365 Things To Do In Silicon Valley". Dawn suggested breakfast at Hobee's recently as one of the top things to do for fun in The Valley.  (She picks one event, restaurant or shop for each day of the year.)  Our "heavenly coffeecake" and community commitment was cited in the write up.  Check it out at http://www.SiliconValley365.com 

17th ANNUAL HOBEE'S ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS HONOR
 HOBEE'S BRIGHTEST STARS

HOBEE’S SUNNYVALE EMPLOYEE TO RECEIVE THE PAUL TABER AWARD



We’re pleased to announce that Guadalupe Tapia, a veteran prep cook from Hobee’s Sunnyvale, will be receiving this year’s Paul Taber Commitment to Excellence Award.  The Paul Taber Award is given each year to an employee who demonstrates the founder’s legendary dedication to service and quality.

Lupe began working for Hobee’s in September 1997.  According to General Manager Misael Morales, Lupe is like a quiet storm in the Sunnyvale kitchen.  He manages to get lots accomplished with speed and accuracy.  Lupe is valued by his co-workers for being on time and having a terrific work ethic.  He is a great teacher and mentor to new employees.  He knows his ingredients and makes sure that very little food is wasted.  Area Manager Camille Chijate is also a big fan.  She says that Lupe is one of the reasons that the Sunnyvale kitchen is able to run so smoothly and efficiently.

Lupe is a terrific example for all Hobee’s employees to follow.  We look forward to honoring him on January 25!

HOBEE'S REPEATS FIRST PLACE IN THE LOS GATOS HOLIDAY PARADE

We had the suspicion last year that our first place award in the Los Gatos Holiday Parade (Commercial Division) may have been a kind "Welcome to Los Gatos" gesture. After this year's repeat win, we'll just paraphrase Sally Field and exclaim "You like us!  You really like us!" Thanks to everyone who came out to see us march.  Special kudos to the parade participants which included the lovely Chijate Family (Camille, Gigi, Toni and Diego), Andrea Valencia, Philip Bate, Matt Knecht, Peter Taber and Chris Mattison, who lent us her classic pink car (and two chihuahuas!).                

        

Ho Ho Hobee's won first prize - again!

SOME FABULOUS NEW ITEMS ON THE PERMANENT MENU

Getting on the Hobee's permanent menu is no easy feat.  We make sure a recipe is just right before we take up valuable real estate alongside the BDBIT and Florentine Scramble. We deemed the following to be ready for prime time: all-time customer favorite Sweet Potato Pancakes (served plain or with seasonal berries) and Los Gatos Chipotle-Alfredo Pasta (penne tossed with spicy Chipotle-Alfredo, gourmet chicken artichoke sausage, red bell peppers, green onion, mushrooms and Parmesan cheese).  You can also "un-wrap" either the Asian or Rice and Curry Wraps, for a lower carb entree. Go ahead...try something new!

FOLLOW HOBEE'S ON TWITTER

BEST BREAKFAST / BRUNCH AWARDS: CHERISHED REPEATS IN TWO LOCAL PAPERS

We're pleased to announce that several of Hobee's most impressive streaks continued in 2009: For the nineteenth consecutive year, Hobee's was named "Best Breakfast" by the Palo Alto Weekly readers. We also took the Best Brunch title (as part of the Hall of Fame) for the sixteenth straight time.  Meanwhile, next door in Mountain View, readers of the Mountain View Voice say that we have the Best Breakfast for the seventeenth time in a row.  Thanks to all our fans who voted for us.  We're running out of wall space for our plaques; it's a wonderful problem to have!  

OUR TENTH LOCATION...FOR 2 WEEKS



Our Hobee's booth on the grounds of the Senior Olympics Athlete Village certainly surpassed our expectations.  Starting August 1, visitors from around the nation came by to sample our homegrown fare for two weeks.  Our merry crew, headed up by veteran San Luis Obispo General Manager Rich Hovey, did brisk business serving fresh salads, wraps, sandwiches and - of course - coffeecake.  Everyone enjoyed the festive atmosphere and hearing stories from the determined over-50 elite competitors.  One of Rich's favorites was Lilian from Florida, a 94 year old long jump silver medalist who recalled the Hindenberg flying over New York City.              

The Olympians also patronized both Palo Alto locations, receiving a 20% discount off dinner when they showed their badge.  We're grateful for their support and inspired by their life-long commitment to fitness!       

HOBEE'S SERVES TENNIS SUPERSTARS

The July 2009 edition of the Bank of the West Tennis Classic was a star-studded affair, drawing some of the most successful, well-known pros on the planet to Stanford's Taube Family Tennis Stadium.  Over the years, the ladies have learned that Hobee's, a proud sponsor of the event, is the place to go for a healthy pre-match meal.  In fact, the tournament had not even begun and Hobee's had served a trifecta of superstars: Maria Sharapova, Venus Williams and her kid sister Serena.  (Among them, they hold a total of nine Wimbledon and six US Open singles titles!)  



Venus, a five-time Wimbledon singles champion, graciously posed for this photo
with Hobee's Stanford server Kareena Ban.       
 
BECOME A HOBEE'S FAN ON FACEBOOK

If you're a Facebooker (and who in the Valley isn't?), make sure to become a Fan of Hobee's.  We started our own special page in July and got over 100 adds our first day.  Fans will receive frequent updates and become eligible for special discounts, contests and promotions, including exclusive offers on "Facebook Fridays".  Click on the link below and share with all your friends!

Hobee's California Restaurants

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PALO ALTO HUMANE SOCIETY GRANTS HOBEE'S SPECIAL DISTINCTION   



The Palo Alto Humane Society recently awarded Hobee's its "Go Veg" certification. This distinction is given to restaurants that:

• Currently offer exemplary vegetarian and vegan menu options;
• Never offer veal or fois gras on the menu; and
• Are open to expanding vegetarian and vegan menu choices
  

"Go Veg" is part of the Palo Alto Humane Society's Humane Planet program.  Hobee's was the first restaurant chain approached about signing on and we're proud to lend our support.  Visit the PAHS web site for more information about Humane Planet.

HOBEE'S LOS GATOS NOW OPEN SEVEN DAYS AND NIGHTS!   

Just in time for the Holidays, Hobee's Los Gatos opened its doors on December 15.  With no advertising, the restaurant filled up for lunch as eager customers got word that the day had finally arrived.  Under the direction of General Manager Jose Valencia and Kitchen Manager Javier Bracamontes, employees have worked together effortlessly, making it seem like the restaurant had been a Hobee's for years.  After a few busy warm up weeks, we decided the restaurant was ready for prime time and opened for dinner on January 5.  Los Gatos residents and workers have been tremendously supportive.  We look forward to being a part of such an exceptional community!           

Jose Valencia is ready to welcome you to Hobee's Los Gatos!

   HOBEE'S PRESIDENT RUNS WITH THE ULTRAMARATHON MAN

Dean Karnazes has been called the greatest athlete on the planet.  His legendary feats of endurance - like running 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 states - have been well-chronicled in magazines and his own best-selling books.  On August 23, Karnazes appeared at Books Inc. in Mountain View to speak about his latest literary effort, 50/50, a diary of his months of daily marathons across the US.  When the talk ended, Karnazes and six other running enthusiasts - including yours truly - ran a 10k along El Camino Real to the Books Inc. in Town and Country Village.  Prior to speaking, Karnazes joined our group for breakfast at, natch, Hobee's Stanford.  The time spent with this running icon, who graciously answered everyone's questions (and we had lots!), was truly inspiring.  Plus, Karnazes seemed very impressed with his first Hobee's experience.  To top it all off, several people at the beginning of the event thought that I was the Ultramarathon Man.  Best...day...ever!          

Dean or Ed?  (Don't bring me down, people!)

SJ BIZ JOURNAL INCLUDES HOBEE'S ON LIST OF TOP FAMILY BUSINESSES

The Silicon Valley Business Journal recently included Taber Food Services, Inc., in its list of top family-owned businesses.  TFS, which owns all of the Hobee's locations except for Cupertino, came in at number 25 in revenue.  Its rank for number of employees by a family business was even higher: Its 225 employees placed the company an impressive fourth on the list.  

DID HOBEE’S HELP SAVE SILICON VALLEY?

Sarah Lacy's new book Once You’re Lucky, Twice You’re Good traces the emergence of online communities and social networks as part of a second dotcom boom in Silicon Valley, or a “Web 2.0”.  In its June 11, 2008 edition, The Silicon Valley Metro featured an excerpt  from Once You’re Lucky.  According to The Metro, the book “explains the PayPal Mafia, the importance of Hobee’s to the tech economy, and how Silicon Valley got saved”.

 

So, how does Hobee’s figure so prominently in recent high tech history?  Lacy says it’s because all roads to Web 2.0 lead to PayPal and the idea for that company was launched during a fateful meeting at Hobee’s Stanford.  Plus, she points out that Hobee’s locations “dot all the geeky corners of the fifty-mile stretch between San Francisco and San Jose.  If you are an engineer and you live in the area, you’ve been to Hobee’s.”  Finally, Lacy profiles our favorite tech titan who is such a regular that we inducted him into our Customer Hall of Fame.  (He ate his way in fair and square!) 

We’re thrilled to know that Hobee’s is part of a cultural phenomenon! We can’t wait to see what next great idea is hatched over coffeecake!          

GET IN THE SPIRIT: WE NOW OFFER ORGANIC BEER!



At Hobee's, we love to feature local companies that produce superior products.  Our latest find is Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing Company.  We're proud to introduce one of SCMBC's most popular elixirs: the sensational India Pale.  This aromatic organic beer has a subtle balance of malt and hops.    You will find this to be a highly drinkable India Pale Ale; a perfect thirst quenching ale.  (And at 22 ounces, it packs quite a punch.  Share one with a friend!)

Cheers!

- Edward Fike

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