Thanks for your interest in the Hobee’s Story. We’re glad to have you with us as we continue to make history!
Founder Paul Taber built the chain with a legendary attention to customer service.
In 1974, the first Hobee’s Restaurant was founded by Paul Taber and his family in Mountain View, California. Located in a former Dairy Belle franchise, the first “Hobee’s Haven” initially served a variety of sandwiches and fast food-type items. Initially, there was no dining room and all the food was ordered and served out of two windows on the outside of the building (closed up, but still there today!). Soon after opening, the insurance office next door became available and the first expansion took place, resulting in a modest dining room with nine tables.
Early on, Paul’s son, Peter, joined the team and brought with him an interest in vegetarian food and cooking. Along with Paul’s fervent commitment to great customer service and love for the bounty of California produce, they began to lay out the base for what would eventually become a Silicon Valley institution. The Tabers strived to create a community-minded family restaurant which featured freshly prepared food and outstanding customer service. Paul attached the made-up name “Hobee’s” to the restaurant because it evoked a fun, friendly image.
Those first few years were challenging and humbling. The tiny Mountain View eatery consistently lost money, severely testing the Tabers’ resolve. At one critical juncture early on, the family van was sold in order to make payroll. As the healthy eating craze of the mid 1970’s took hold, however, Hobee’s name recognition began to steadily grow. Favorable word of mouth and several rave reviews in local papers prompted an increasing number of diners to sample Hobee’s exquisite breakfast and lunch menu, along with its wide array of healthy options. Buzz around town also centered on Paul’s “people first” philosophy of service; his genuine, caring attitude toward the customers was a refreshing change to those accustomed to the disinterested service offered by other coffee shops. Not surprisingly, Mountain View’s ascendance also corresponded with the introduction of the now-famous concoction craved by fans from around the globe: piping hot, streusel-topped, Hobee-made blueberry coffeecake.
After a second expansion of Hobee’s Mountain View, the Tabers were emboldened to open a Sunnyvale location in 1976. That first Sunnyvale location was sacrificed by the Tabers when the opportunity to open Hobee’s Palo Alto – a superior location – arose. The family opened two more locations within the next decade: Stanford (1984) and San Jose (1986).
By the mid 1980’s, Hobee’s had become enormously popular among Peninsula/South Bay diners. The four Taber-owned locations began to reap several important awards, including a slew of “Best Breakfast” citations from local newspapers. Booming business sparked the decision to franchise the Hobee’s concept. Franchising gave the Tabers the opportunity to work with others who shared the Hobee’s philosophy of caring and excellence. Among the locations opened during that era was the sole franchise to survive: Cupertino (1986). That site continues to thrive today.
By 1990, Hobee’s had firmly established itself as one of the leading restaurant chains in California. Expansion, however, was slowed by a sluggish state economy. This respite from growth, however, provided a prime opportunity for Paul Taber’s son, Peter, to come into his own as the chain’s dynamic young leader. Peter implemented several innovative systems and procedures which improved customer and employee satisfaction. Peter’s achievements at Hobee’s and in the community at large led Congresswoman Anna Eshoo to nominate him for U.S. Small Businessperson of the Year in 1993.
In 1994, the Tabers once again caught the expansion bug when a “can’t pass” proposal was made for a second San Jose location off Montague Expressway. The line-out-the-door opening proved that Hobee’s, even after two decades, was still reaching new markets. In 1996, after a two decade hiatus, the family made a triumphant return to Sunnyvale with yet another hit restaurant.
In the fall of 1997, the Tabers opened a Hobee’s in Belmont / Redwood Shores. That restaurant marked the first family-owned site to be located in San Mateo County. The populous area, which boasts a healthy mix of business and residential occupants, proved to be an ideal setting for a Hobee’s.
With the summer 1998 announcement that Town and Country Village in San Jose would be demolished, the Tabers launched a search for a nearby replacement location. In 1999, a deal was struck to place Hobee’s in the thriving Pruneyard Shopping Center in Campbell. The spacious restaurant drew immediate crowds upon opening in March of that year. Hobee’s San Jose closed the following spring and its passing was mourned by the many regulars who appreciated its funky charm.
In 2005, a new leadership emerged at Hobee’s. Co-owner Edward Fike, a 1990 graduate of The Santa Clara University School of Law, took over as president from his partner Peter Taber, who assumed the role of chairman of the board. Ed forged an effective partnership with vice president and area manager Camille Chijate, who began her Hobee’s career in the late 1980’s. Together, they tightened operations and continued to strengthen the brand with innovative ideas.
Though expansion seemed unlikely at the time, the owners were immediately intrigued when a former Baker’s Square location became available in Los Gatos in mid-2008. It was another “too good to pass up” opportunity. Just before Christmas that year, Hobee’s Los Gatos opened up to the biggest opening crowds in the chain’s 35 year history.
Though Hobee’s was able to survive the turbulent economy of the next several years intact, a trio of closings within a twelve month period made headlines: Hobee’s Stanford was closed in January 2013 after the new ownership at Town and Country Village demanded costly renovations and increased rent. Los Gatos was also shuttered in August of that year after failing to live up to its promising start. Finally, popular Pruneyard served its last meal on January 5, 2014, as the owners faced the daunting prospect of a doubled rent. Fortunately, many employees who desired to remain with the company were placed at other Hobee’s locations following the closures. Notably, amidst the difficult farewells, the remaining restaurants posted sizable sales gains as customers selected new Hobee’s homes. It also didn’t hurt that Vice President Joe Biden made a splashy, well-publicized visit to Hobee’s Sunnyvale in June 2013.
After riding the wave of Bay Area economic growth for the next several years, the stage was set for a major transition. In June 2017, the Taber family sold the chain to two trusted, longtime employees: the husband and wife team of Camille and Daniel Chijate. The Chijates certainly earned the opportunity with their hard work and dedication. Both Camille and Daniel had logged 28 years as Hobee’s employees. Customers and co-workers agreed that there was no better choice to carry on the Hobee’s legacy.
Camille Chijate, who took over as Hobee’s owner with her husband Daniel in 2017, had the honor of hosting Vice President Joe Biden at Hobee’s Sunnyvale four years earlier.
The new owners continued Hobee’s award-winning tradition by swiftly snagging major honors of their own, including: Best Breakfast by the Palo Alto Weekly (2017 – 2019), Mountain View Voice (2019), Silicon Valley Metro (2018), and the Peninsula Daily News (2018). Camille and Daniel were also recognized for their inspiring professional journeys. They were awarded both the 2018 Office Depot Workonomy Award for Entrepreneurship and the 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center.
Like all restaurants around the globe, the COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on Hobee’s. The chain rose to the challenge by expanding outdoor seating, offering new delivery options and employing the highest standards of safety and sanitation. Sadly, two locations became notable casualties during the Coronavirus Era: Hobee’s Cupertino closed at the outset of the pandemic in March 2020. With a major redevelopment of The Oaks Center looming, franchisee Michael Lashen decided that it did not make sense to reopen the restaurant after Shelter in Place was lifted only to close again for demolition. Two years later, Hobee’s Montague Expressway ended a successful 28 year run at River Oaks Plaza due to declining weekday business and increased occupancy costs.
Despite the difficulties posed by the pandemic, the company is determined to prosper. Backed by its committed employees and legion of loyal customers, Hobee’s will continue making memories for many years to come!
47 Bits of Hobee’s History (1974 – 2021)
1974
Veteran restaurateur Paul Taber, along with wife Mary and children Peter and Connie, opens “Hobee’s Hamburger Haven”, a fast food concept with a healthy emphasis, in Mountain View.
Hobee’s Mountain View in 1974: Groovy and take-out only!
1975
Peter Taber, who had attended the Berklee College of Music prior to joining the family business, creates Hobee’s signature recipe: cinnamon-streussel-topped blueberry coffeecake.
1976
A second Hobee’s, located at El Camino Real and Mary Avenue in Sunnyvale, begins a brief three year run which ends when the opportunity to open a higher profile location in Palo Alto arises.
1977
Hobee’s receives its first significant award from a local publication: New West Magazine calls it “the best breakfast in the Bay Area”.
1978
The day after a rave review in the The Palo Alto Times, a record crowd boosts Hobee’s Mountain View sales to more than
$ 1,000 for the first time.1979
Hobee’s opens its doors in south Palo Alto on El Camino Real at the site of a former 1940’s casino.
1980
In conjunction with Foothill College, Peter Taber launches a series of cooking classes at Hobee’s Palo Alto featuring many of the healthful recipes served at Hobee’s.
1981
Customers fill several boxes with entry blanks in Hobee’s first annual Super Bowl Contest (then called “The Football Follies”), which offers a free Hobee’s meal a week for one year to the patron who comes closest to guessing the final score of the NFL’s championship game.
1982
To more efficiently serve an ever-expanding menu, Hobee’s converts to full table service.
1983
Hobee’s owners change the name of the corporation from “World’s Greatest Hamburger’s, Inc.” to “Taber Food Services, Inc.”.
1984
Capitalizing on its prime location across from Stanford University, Hobee’s Town and Country Village / Palo Alto opens to capacity crowds.
1985
A new marketing strategy is born when Hobee’s creates buzz by donating coffeecake to hundreds of appreciative racers at the annual “Bay to Breakfast” fun run in the Palo Alto Baylands.
1986
Hobee’s Franchising Corporation is formed to facilitate expansion to Bay Area markets including Santa Cruz, Fremont, and Emeryville, though only one of eight franchised locations – Cupertino – remains in operation today.
1987
Franchisees Gwil Evans, Michael Lashen and Gordon von Richter open Hobee’s Cupertino in the Oaks Shopping Center across from De Anza College and soon coast to the top of the chain’s sales charts.
1988
The company rolls out the popular “Hobee’s Goes Around the World” promotion, which entices customers to earn a free breakfast by taking a photograph at a famous locale outside of California wearing a Hobee’s t-shirt.
1989
For the Holiday Season, a new coffeecake flavor – cranberry – is introduced for the first time, giving rise to an annual “Ho Ho Ho Hobee’s” yuletide tradition.
1990
Patrons of Hobee’s Town and Country / Palo Alto are treated to an elaborate hoax courtesy of KSJO Radio as a Mikhail Gorbachev look-a-like mingles with customers at the restaurant while the real Gorby tours Stanford University several blocks away.
1991
Lengthy winning streaks for Readers’ Poll “Best Breakfast” awards begin in The San Jose Metro and The Palo Alto Weekly.
1992
Several Hobee’s employees hold a small fundraiser at a private home benefiting AIDS resource provider ARIS which evolves into the annual Club Hobee’s event (1993 – 1997) and raises over $ 75,000 for the agency.
1993
The Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce awards Hobee’s its prestigious Tall Tree Award for civic excellence.
1994
Hobee’s employees and VIPs gather at Hobee’s Mountain View for the inaugural Hobee’s Achievement Awards, an annual recognition event designed to honor the outstanding contributions of employees, customers and local businesses to the chain.
1995
At age 72, Hobee’s Montague Expressway server Warren Ramsey (who passed away in 2001) is honored by the California Restaurant Association as the state’s outstanding front house hospitality employee.
1996
A stubborn 3-alarm fire guts Hobee’s Town and Country Village / Palo Alto and several surrounding businesses, forcing an eight month closure.
1997
In town to drop off daughter Chelsea at Stanford University, President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton receive a welcome gift of Hobee’s coffeecake personally delivered by owners Peter Taber and Edward Fike.
1998
Founder Paul Taber dies of lung cancer at age 72.
1999
Soon after learning that Hobee’s Town and Country / San Jose will be bulldozed to make way for mega-development Santana Row, Hobee’s owners find a replacement site at nearby Pruneyard Shopping Center.
2000
The tech boom proves to be a mixed bag for Hobee’s: Sales spike as dotcommers spend freely, yet staffing – even high school labor – becomes a critical challenge.
2001
In a nod to its founders’ Hawaiian roots, Hobee’s introduces summer-long “Aloha Fridays” featuring tropical-themed promotions and specials, including pineapple-coconut coffeecake.
2002
Co-founder Mary Taber retires to Honolulu, Hawaii, the city where she lived for nearly three decades prior to starting Hobee’s.
2003
Supplementing several breakfast accolades won by the chain earlier in the year, Palo Alto Daily News readers choose Hobee’s burgers – including the Bandito, the Aztec and the Swiss Bliss – as the Peninsula’s best.
2004
The San Francisco Chronicle gives perspective when it notes in an article about Hobee’s 30th anniversary that current president Peter Taber is the same age – 49 – his father was when he started Hobee’s.
2005
Peter Taber steps down as president and passes the torch to his partner and co-owner, Edward Fike, a graduate of the Santa Clara University School of Law.
2006
Augmenting the Hobee’s Achievement Awards, the annual gala celebrating Hobee’s employee contributions, The Star Crewmember of the Month program is unveiled. Winning employees receive prizes, a lapel pin and public acknowledgment, including a featured page on jaimem23.sg-host.com
2007
Fortune Magazine profiles Peter Thiel and Max Levchin, the founders of PayPal, and reveals that the duo first came up with the idea for their company over a meal at Hobee’s Stanford in 1998. Many of the major players of “Web 2.0” – including Facebook, YouTube and Yelp – trace their ancestries to PayPal.
2008
Nine years after its last restaurant launch, Hobee’s debuts in Los Gatos at Highway 9 and University Ave. The sales are the highest ever for any Hobee’s opening!
2009
Hobee’s reaches its milestone thirty-fifth year with nine Silicon Valley locations, over $ 12 million in annual chain revenues, 300+ employees and tens of thousands of loyal customers.
2010
Assemblymember Ira Ruskin chooses Hobee’s as the Outstanding Small Business from the entire 21st assembly district. The Campbell Chamber of Commerce also picks Hobee’s Pruneyard as its Business of the Year.
2011
Hobee’s Mountain View, the “Mother Store”, is recognized by the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce as the Outstanding Small Business of that year.
2012
Continuing an impressive streak that began in 2010, two more locations receive Business of the Year designations from their respective Chambers of Commerce: Hobee’s Cupertino (the sole Hobee’s franchise) and Hobee’s Los Gatos, which garnered the honor despite being open a little over three years.
2013
In June, a packed Saturday morning crowd at Hobee’s Sunnyvale was treated to a surprise visit from Vice President Joe Biden. Biden charmed the guests by taking photos and even visiting the cooks in the kitchen.
2014
While the first week of the year began on a down note – Pruneyard closed after 15 years due to a doubling of rent – the rest of 2014 was a reason for celebration. The 40th anniversary of Hobee’s was feted at chamber of commerce events in Mountain View, Sunnyvale and San Jose, while an Employee and Alumni Picnic was held in September. Guests also sent in hundreds of entries in a special contest: “40 Reasons We Love Hobee’s”.
2015
TripAdvisor issued Hobee’s its first Certificate of Excellence Awards. Both Palo Alto and Sunnyvale received the honor, which is reserved for the top 10% rated restaurants on the popular travel web site.
2016
When venerable San Jose Mercury News columnist Sal Pizarro solicited nominations for “San Jose’s favorite dish”, one reader enthusiastically stumped for the Florentine Scramble. Sal himself pointed out that “Hobee’s blueberry coffeecake can’t be beat.”
2017
In a major transition, the founding Taber family sold Hobee’s in June. While it was a bittersweet decision, the Tabers, employees, customers and local media celebrated the announcement that veteran Hobee’s managers (and spouses) Camille and Daniel Chijate would acquire the company. After 43 years, Hobee’s would pass to new owners yet remain in the family.
2018
The Hobee’s family and all of Silicon Valley mourned the passing of former president and co-owner Peter Taber on January 30th. Peter had devoted many of his 63 years to making Hobee’s a unique and iconic brand. Peter’s contributions were recognized in special commendations by the US House of Representatives, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and the San Jose City Council. Hobee’s hosted a special picnic in his honor later that summer.
2019
On the heels of a 2018 Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award from Office Depot, Camille and Daniel Chijate were recognized again with another auspicious honor: Entrepreneur of the Year from the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center. At a formal event held in San Francisco in September, Camille and Daniel were lauded for successfully transitioning as Hobee’s new owners after acquiring the company in 2017.
2020
Like every business around the globe, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on Hobee’s. The chain has responded to the challenge by adding outdoor seating and ramping up delivery options. Despite these efforts, Hobee’s Cupertino, the chain’s sole remaining franchise, decided to end its 33 year run during the summer. While it remained quite popular, the Cupertino site faced imminent closure due to The Oaks Center’s major redevelopment plans.
2021
Doing business in the COVID Era required Hobee’s to pivot and try new things. With to go orders skyrocketing, the company introduced a direct link to on-line restaurant orders in Fall 2021. Customers responded enthusiastically to the convenience, increased accuracy and efficiency of ordering directly at https://hobees.alohaorderonline.com/Engage.aspx?#/engage/ordering/menu
