In 1977, Hobee’s received its first significant award from a local publication: New West Magazine calls it “the best breakfast in the Bay Area”. Below is a list of distinctions we’ve kept up with from January 1991 – June 2021.
Award-Winning Fare
BEST BREAKFAST
Palo Alto Weekly
1991 / 1992 / 1993 / 1994 / 1995 / 1996 / 1997 / 1998 / 1999 / 2000 / 2001 / 2002 / 2003 / 2004 / 2005* / 2006* / 2007* / 2008 / 2009 / 2010 / 2011 / 2017 / 2018 / 2019
* “Hall of Fame” Honoree 2004 – 2007
Metro Silicon Valley (Entire Region)
1991 / 1992 / 1993 / 1994 / 1995 / 1996 / 1997 / 1998 / 1999 / 2000 / 2001
Metro Silicon Valley (Central Silicon Valley)
2012 / 2014 / 2018
Metro Silicon Valley (Peninsula)
2013 / 2014 / 2015
Country Almanac
1992 / 1995 / 1996 / 1998 / 1999 / 2000
Mountain View Voice
1993 / 1994 / 1995 / 1996 / 1997 1998 / 1999 / 2000 / 2001 / 2002 / 2003 / 2004 / 2005 / 2006 / 2007 / 2008 / 2009 / 2010 / 2011 / 2012 / 2013 / 2014 / 2019
SF/Peninsula Parent Magazine
1993
San Jose Magazine
1999 / 2000 / 2001 / 2002 / 2003 / 2004
Out Now
1999 / 2000
Citysearch San Jose Audience Winner
2002
Citysearch Central Coast Audience Winner
2004
Peninsula Daily News
2004 / 2012 / 2013 / 2016 / 2018
BEST BRUNCH
Palo Alto Weekly
1994 / 1995 / 1996 / 1997 / 1998 / 1999 / 2000 /2001 / 2002 / 2003 / 2004 / 2005 / 2006 / 2007* / 2008* / 2009*
* Hall of Fame Honoree Through 2009
Mountain View Voice
1995 / 1996 / 1997 / 1998 / 1999 / 2000 / 2001 / 2002 / 2003 / 2004 / 2005 / 2006 / 2007 / 2008
San Jose Metro
2002
Out Now
2005
BEST BREAKFAST / BRUNCH
San Jose Mercury News
2002 / 2003 / 2004 / 2006
Jewish News Weekly of Northern California
2006
Mountain View Voice
2021
BEST BOSTON CLAM CHOWDER
Santa Cruz Chowder Cook-Off
1991 / 1995
BEST SMOOTHIE
San Jose Metro
1991 / 1992
BEST FAMILY RESTAURANT
Bay Area Parent Readers Poll
2004
BEST AMERICAN RESTAURANT
Metro Silicon Valley (West Valley)
2012
Metro Silicon Valley (Central Valley)
2013
Metro Silicon Valley (Peninsula)
2015
BEST BURGER
Palo Alto Daily News
2003
BEST KIDS MENU
Palo Alto Weekly
2021
LISTED: TOP 100 THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU GRADUATE (“Brunch at Hobee’s”)
Stanford Daily
2004
LISTED: TOP 200 SOUTH BAY DINING SPOTS
South Bay Accent Magazine
2008 / 2012
NEIGHBORHOOD FAVORITE (Palo Alto)
Nextdoor Readers’ Poll
2018
Award-Winning People
PETER TABER (DECEASED), FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
2000 Distinguished Volunteer Fund Raiser, National Society of Fund
Raising Executives, Silicon Valley Chapter
1996 Silicon Valley Entreprenurial Award
1993 Finalist, U.S. Small Businessperson of the Year
(Nominated by Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, D-14)
EDWARD FIKE, FORMER PRESIDENT
1995 San Jose Business Journal “30 Under 30” Leadership Award
2004 San Jose Business Journal “40 Under 40” Leadership Award
WARREN RAMSEY (DECEASED), FORMER SERVER (MONTAGUE EXPRESSWAY)
1994 California Restaurant Association Server of the Year
MICHAEL LASHEN, FRANCHISEE (CUPERTINO)
2003 Cupertino Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Citizen Award
RAFAEL VIRRUETA (STANFORD), FORMER SERVER
2012 Outstanding Waiter, Daily News People’s Choice Awards
CAMILLE & DANIEL CHIJATE, CURRENT CO-OWNERS (CFS)
2018 Office Depot Workonomy Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship
2019 Entrepreneur of the Year, Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center
Award-Winning Commitment
COMMUNITY STAR AWARD
Gentry Magazine
December 2000
DADS COUNT FAMILY FRIENDLY EMPLOYER AWARDS
San Mateo County Health Services Agency
March 2001
GOLDEN TOQUE AWARD FOR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
California Restaurant Association
August 2002
OUTSTANDING HUMANITARIAN PARTICIPATION BY A LOCAL COMPANY
Peninsula Community Foundation
October 1991
BEST RESTAURANT FOR KIDS
Palo Alto Weekly
1991 / 1992 / 1993 / 1994 / 2011
Daily News People’s Choice Awards
2012
OUTSTANDING COMPANY TO WORK FOR
Palo Alto Small Business Council
1992 / 1993
TALL TREE AWARD FOR CIVIC EXCELLENCE
Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce
1993
LOCAL HERO AWARD
ARIS (AIDS Resources, Information and Services)
1994
OUTSTANDING WASTE PREVENTION AWARD
City of Palo Alto
1995
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP AWARD
Girl Scouts of Santa Clara County
1997
LISTED: ONE OF SILICON VALLEY’S LARGEST FAMILY-OWNED COMPANIES (#25)
Silicon Valley Business Journal
August 2008
COMMUNITY HERO AWARD
The Outlet Program
2009
VOTED FIRST PLACE: COMMERCIAL ENTRY
Annual Los Gatos Holiday Children’s Parade
2008 / 2009 / 2010
BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD
Campbell Chamber of Commerce
2009
BEST SERVICE AT A RESTAURANT
Daily News People’s Choice Poll
2010
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR, 21st ASSEMBLY DISTRICT
Selected by Assemblymember Ira Ruskin (D-Redwood City)
2010
OUTSTANDING SMALL BUSINESS
Mountain View Chamber of Commerce
2010
OUTSTANDING MID-SIZE BUSINESS
Cupertino Chamber of Commerce
2012
BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD
Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce
2012
CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE
TripAdvisor
2015 / 2017 / 2018
TRAVELERS’ CHOICE AWARD
TripAdvisor
2020