WHAT'S NEW AT HOBEE'S
January 2012 - Happy 2012 to all of our
fans from Silicon Valley and beyond! As we begin the New Year, one thing is
for certain: We will continue to provide the very best quality food and service
to all of you. You're the reason we're still around after - can it really
be? - 38 years! Here's what's going on in Hobeeland....
HOBEE'S CUPERTINO NAMED SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
We're proud to announce that
the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce has named Hobee's
Cupertino its Small Business of the Year for 2011. The prestigious honor
comes as our franchised location celebrates its 25th anniversary. Franchisees
Gordon von Richter and Michael Lashen, who founded the restaurant located
across from De Anza College in The Oaks Center in 1986, will receive the
honor at a special ceremony in March. The Cupertino kudo continues an impressive
streak for Hobee's, which also won Small Business of the Year awards for
Mountain View (2009), Campbell (2010) and the 21st Assembly District (2010).
WINTER
DINNER MENU FEATURES TEMPTING NEW OPTIONS
Quite often, our customers complain that the Hobee's menu is too extensive.
There's simply too much to choose from! Our Winter Dinner Specials
only add to the conundrum. (We suggest taking a deep breath and remembering
that you can eventually try them all.) Ready? Here's what we're running
this season:
TWO 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: Grown Up Grilled
Cheese Sandwich with Jack, Cheddar and thinly-sliced geen apple, and Wild
Wild Primavera which melds two former favorites - Wild Wild Pasta and Palo
Alto Primavera - into one spectacular recipe. Trust us, these two are ready
for prime time!
WE DID IT AGAIN....AND
AGAIN!
Our friends at Embarcadero Media had a rock 'n roll
theme for this year's special "Best Of" publications. Our trio of award-winning,
peace-loving General Managers included Jose Valencia (Stanford), Louis Aurandt
(Mountain View) and Melissa Talbot (Palo Alto). Far out!
We were incredibly honored to once again receive the
Best Breakfast award from readers of both The Palo Alto Weekly (which
also named us Best Restaurant for Kids) and The Mountain View Voice. This
was our 21st straight year for The Weekly and the 18th consecutive
year for The Voice. We never take these kudos for granted and work
hard to secure your vote each and every year. Thanks for voting for us!
INTRODUCING OUR NEW
GLUTEN-FREE MENU!
After repeated requests from our friends in the Celiacs community,
we're pleased to announce gluten-free options at Hobee's. Our special menu
was introduced in May and June. We rolled it out in stages to ensure that
our staff was properly trained on preparing and describing our gluten-free
offerings. (We even hosted Free Gluten-Free nights to give everyone
practice.)
The Gluten-Free Menu will no doubt evolve over time. Here is our
starting line up:
Breakfast
Eye Opener
2 eggs (any style), country-style hashbrowns and your choice of corn
tortillas or Udi’s gluten-free toast $7.95
Add turkey bacon, ham, or chicken apple sausage . .
. . . . . $ 9.95
Gluten-Free Pancakes
Made with Gluten-free Pantry brown rice pancake mix and served with real
maple syrup
Plain $8.25 with seasonal fruit $10.50
Lunch / Dinner
Pollo Supremo Tacos
Corn tortillas with chicken breast, mushrooms. Jack and Cheddar, brown
rice pilaf topped with salsa, guac and sour cream.
Served with tri-color tortilla chips . . . . . $10.95
Redwood Burger
1/3 lb. Ground chuck patty, chicken breast, turkey patty or grilled Portobello
mushroom with 2 slices of turkey
bacon and cheddar cheese on Udi’s Gluten-free bread. Served with
tri-color tortilla chips . . . . . $10.95
Embarcadero Salad
An entrée salad with spring mix, grilled breast of chicken strips,
pears, apples, walnuts, dried fruit and
Bleu cheese in a raspberry vinaigrette . . . $11.95
Gluten-Free Pasta
Hartland Gluten-free fusilli pasta (prepared in separate water than other
pastas) available with
Marinara . . . . $ 12.95 Wild
Wild (mushrooms, garlic, green onion) . . . $12.95
Pasta Pesto . . . $12.95 Salmon
(mushrooms, spinach, capers, tomato) . . . $13.95
Just for Kids
Gluten-Free Mickey’s Pancake
Kid-sized pancake made with Gluten-free Pantry brown rice pancake mix
. . . $4.95
Kid-sized Eye Opener
1 egg (any style), country-style hashbrowns and your choice of corn tortillas
or Udi’s gluten-free toast $5.95
Add turkey bacon or chicken apple sausage . . . . .
. . $ 6.95
Kid-sized Gluten-Free Pasta
Hartland Gluten-free fusilli pasta (prepared in separate water than other
pastas) with Marinara . . . $5.95
In addition, we offer several gluten-friendly items which are gluten-friendly
but have been prepared along side other items in the kitchen. These
items include vegetable soups (other than veggie pasta), salad dressings
and turkey burgers.
HIGH FIVE:
FREE WI FI!
Since we owe so much to the movers and shakers of Silicon Valley,
the least we can do is supply them with Wi Fi. Enjoy unlimited, unrestricted
wireless hook up at any Hobee's location except Cupertino. Surf on our turf!
18th ANNUAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS HONOR HOBEE'S SUPERSTARS
Sunnyvale's Misael Morales won Outstanding General Manager for the
third time.
Over 200 employees, family members and VIPs came out
to the Roosevelt Community Center to cheer on winners and runners up from
every location at the 18th Annual Achievement Awards. As usual, we
got started with an award-worthy video co-produced by Jose Valencia and Sergio
Gutierrez. Many highlights followed as employees paid tribute to
each other with touching remarks. Here’s a list of winners for 2010:
Outstanding Host – Alex Tafolla (Palo
Alto)
Outstanding Manager – Roberto Diaz (Stanford)
Rookie of the Year – Mayra Nava (Stanford)
Outstanding Kitchen Crewmember – Carlos
Ponzo (Pruneyard)
Customers’ Choice Award – Elena Perez (Sunnyvale)
Length of Service Awards (5 Years) – Maria
Barajas (Montague Expressway); Jorge Jimenez (Pruneyard); Irma Rodriguez
and Kristine Talbot (Stanford); and Jose Luis Bibiano, Angelita Castrejon,
Carolina Rozo and Gregorio Vasquez (Sunnyvale)
Length of Service Awards (10 Years) – Salomon
Santos (Cupertino); Louise Aurandt (Mountain View); Jesus Arellano, Juan
Lopez and Lorenzo Lopez (Montague Expressway); Eliseo Moreno (Stanford);
and Elena Perez and Jose Uriostegui (Sunnyvale); and Alba Romero and Jocelyn
Flores (Pruneyard)
Supportive Organization Award – Stevens
Creek Striders (Cupertino)
Hobee’s Hero – Janet Enciso (Pruneyard)
Highest Annual Sales Awards – Montague
(2 Periods) and Stanford (3 Periods)
Secret Shopper Award – Stanford
Customer Hall of Fame Induction – Rex Baumgartner
(Redwood Shores); Ree and Gary Dufresne (Palo Alto); and Carol and Jim Brush
(Cupertino)
Length of Service Awards (15 Years) – Ernestina
Vergara (Pruneyard) and Miguel Rodriguez (Cupertino).
Length of Service Awards (20 Years) – Tomasa
Anaya (Stanford); Jose Luis Aguilar (Cupertino) and Misael Morales (Sunnyvale).
Length of Service Awards (25 Years) – Presciliano
Melchor (Stanford)
Outstanding Kitchen Manager – Francisco
Ramirez (Montague Expressway)
Outstanding Server – Carlos Quintero (Los
Gatos)
Outstanding General Manager – Misael Morales
(Sunnyvale)
Paul Taber Commitment to Excellence Award
– Sergo Carlos (Stanford)
$ 500 Raffle Grand Prize – Sergio Carlos
(Stanford….When you’re hot, you’re hot!)
Congratulations to all of this year's winners and finalists!
A GIFT FROM THE MOUNTAIN VIEW CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE:
HOBEE'S NAMED SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR!
We're grateful to the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce
for selecting Hobee's Mountain View as its Small Business of the Year for
2010. This distinction is particularly special given that little
Mountain View was the original Hobee's Restaurant, opening back in 1974.
We congratulate the entire restaurant crew, which includes veterans Louise
Aurandt (General Manager), Jesus Herrera (Kitchen Manager) and Connie Cruz
(server). The Chamber will be honoring Hobee's and others at a special
event on January 14, 2011.
HOBEE'S THREE-PEATS IN
THE LOS GATOS HOLIDAY PARADE
We had the suspicion that our first place
award in the 2008 Los Gatos Holiday Parade (Commercial Division) may
have been a kind "Welcome to Los Gatos" gesture. Then we won the following
year and weren't sure. After nabbing first place for the third straight
year, we know now that you like us...you really like us! Thanks to
everyone who came out to see us march with our cool pink electric car, courtesy
of our buddy Ciro Giammona at Harell Remodeling.
Ho Ho Hobee's
won first prize - again!
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. 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 NAMED SMALL BUSINESS OF THE
YEAR
FOR THE 21st ASSEMBLY DISTRICT
Hobee's president Edward Fike (r) traveled
to Sacramento to accept Hobee's award from Assemblyman Ira Ruskin.
Just off the heels of our Campbell Chamber of Commerce
award as Business of the Year, we weren't expecting another major accolade.
So, the call from the office of Assemblymember Ira Ruskin
(D-Redwood City) came as complete surprise. Assemblymember
Ruskin chose Hobee's based on our "outstanding contribution to the community".
The award was presented on May 25, 2010, during California Small Business
Day, a special event hosted by the California Small Business Association.
“I am proud to select Hobee’s as Small Business of the Year
because of its continued support of our community, year-after-year since
its inception in 1974,” Ruskin said. “The list of schools, clubs,
community organizations and important causes assisted by Hobee’s Helping
Hand program is extensive and inspiring. Within the first
few months of 2010, the company has already donated more than $27,000
in sponsorship dollars, proceeds, food, and gift certificates to benefit
many groups and people in our community.”
HOBEE’S FEATURED IN ANNUAL
EASTER PARADE
Perhaps the coolest perk of winning Campbell Business
of the Year is getting to ride in the annual Bunnies and Bonnets Parade.
Hobee's president Edward Fike did his best wave as he rode through
an exuberant downtown crowd numbering about 1,000 on April 3. The
most common question yelled from the crowd: "Where's the coffeecake?"
HOBEE’S PRUNEYARD NAMED
CAMPBELL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR!
I
t 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!
FOLLOW HOBEE'S ON
TWITTER
Catch all the latest Hobee's news as it happens on Twitter.
After a bit of a delay (we had to win back the name "Hobees"
from a squatter), we're up and running at www.twitter.com/hobees
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 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!
If you have any Hobee's-related
items you'd like to share, call our customer comment line at (800) HOBEES6,
extension 2, or send an e-mail to: efike@hobees.com
Cheers!
- Edward Fike
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