WHAT'S NEW AT HOBEE'S!
April 2008 - The first half of April brings
an inevitable dip in business across restaurant land. Apparently, some of
us feel a bit of remorse about spending around tax time. Remember,
though, that water, shelter, cable and coffeecake are necessities,
not conveniences!
FIRST FIVE MOBILE VAN
VISITS TWO HOBEE'S SITES
The First Five California Program is bringing its innovative program
to Hobee's! The Hands-on Health mobile outreach campaign is a groundbreaking,
grassroots effort aimed at addressing key health issues facing children ages
0 to 5 and their families. The van and exhibit travels across the state,
reaching parents and families at venues including fairs, parades and expos
with fun tips about easy ways to stay healthy. Activities include games,
music and entertainment.
Parents may bring their little ones to two events at Hobee's:
We look forward to seeing many of our loyal families at these
two events!
HOBEE'S LAUDED BY SOUTH
BAY ACCENT
OK, so it might not be the most exclusive award we've ever received
(and if you look at our Measures of Distinction list, you can see that we're
like the Meryl Streep of family restaurants), but we're still tickled to be
cited by South Bay Accent Magazine as one of the area's Top 200 Dining
Spots in 2008. Thanks for the shout out, SBA!
ARTICLE
ON COFFEECAKE FEATURES.....ANY GUESSES?
Restaurants and Institutions On-Line recently explored
the enduring popularity of our most popular menu item: coffeecake. In
addition to the fine folks from Mani's Bakery in LA (hey Mike and Larry,
wassup?) and a little-known operation called Starbucks, R & I explored
the phenomenon that put Hobee's on the map so many years ago. Click
here
to read scintillating quotes from Hobee's president Eduardo Gerardo Fike.
AND THE BIG WINNER IS.....HOBEE'S!
The Achievement Awards have been held every year since 1994.
Over 200 employees, family members and VIPs came out to the Mexican Heritage
Plaza to cheer on winners and runners up from every location at the 15th
Annual Achievement Awards. The evening started with a brilliant short
film and video courtesy of Jose Valencia and starring Gabriel Pardo, Rey Jimenez,
Rob Diaz, Daniel Martinez and Sergio Gutierrez. (Check it out on YouTube
and Facebook!) Special thanks to Juan Vargas, Carlos Ibanes, Jose Abalos,
Arnulfo Alba and Michelle Lopez for their assistance. Here’s a list
of winners for 2007:
Outstanding Host – (Tie) Maria
Barajas (Montague Expressway) and Eduardo Rodriguez (Palo Alto)
Outstanding Manager – Jose Abalos
(Redwood Shores / Stanford)
Rookie of the Year – Ignacio Morales
(Stanford)
Outstanding Kitchen Crewmember –
Jose Uriostegui (Cupertino / Sunnyvale)
Customers’ Choice Award – Elena
Perez (Sunnyvale)
Length of Service Awards (5 Years)
– Raphael De Oliveira and Claudio Morales (Stanford); Alejandra Gutierrez,
Amado Lopez and Ruben Hernandez (Mountain View); Aurora Romero (Montague
Expressway); Eduardo Rodriguez and Juan Virrueta (Palo Alto); Nancy Tulich
(Redwood Shores); Elia Briones, Gonzalo Ortega, Jose Tadeo and Salvador Vazquez
(Sunnyvale)
Length of Service Awards (10 Years)
– Costa Hurtado (Montague Expressway); Guadalupe Tapia (Sunnyvale);
and Cecilia Reyes (Stanford)
Elena Perez from Sunnyvale was a winner for the
second straight year in the Customers' Choice category.
Supportive Organization Award – Campbell Kiwanis Club
Hobee’s Hero – Ranulfo Alba (Pruneyard
/ Sunnyvale)
Highest Annual Sales Awards – Montague
(2 Meal Periods) and Pruneyard (3 Meal Periods)
Secret Shopper Award – Stanford
Customer Hall of Fame Induction
– Peggy Amstutz (Pruneyard); Alex Barna (Mountain View); and Donna Baker
and Lenore Forfang (Sunnyvale)
Length of Service Awards (15 Years)
– Sergio Carlos and Avedon Ortiz (Stanford)
Length of Service Awards (20 Years)
– Antonio Amaya (Mountain View) and Daniel Chijate (Stanford)
Outstanding Kitchen Manager – Javier
Bracamontes (Pruneyard)
Outstanding Server – Giovanni Mata
(Montague Expressway)
Outstanding General Manager – Felipe
Zarate (Pruneyard)
Paul Taber Commitment to Excellence Award
– Gabriel Virrueta, Palo Alto
$ 500 Raffle Grand Prize – Sona
Amatya, Stanford
Congratulations to all of this year's winners
and finalists!
WINTER DINNER SPECIALS FEATURE "BEST OF 2007"
Chicken and Salmon Santorini was our number one dinner special in
2007. Don't be surprised if it gets a promotion to our regular menu!
We're honoring our best dinner specials from 2007 on this year's
Winter Menu. Treat yourself to an encore of the following customer
favorites at four convenient locations:
Starters
Roasted Fall Vegetable Medley
Herb roasted sweet potatoes, garlic, onion, red potatoes, and
turnips lightly sautéed with olive oil and served topped with
Feta cheese. Tasty!
$6.95
5 Layer Black Bean Dip & Chips
Our famous black beans layered with guacamole, Salsa Fresca, sour cream
and Queso Fresco. Served with tri-color chips for dipping.
$6.95
Dinner Entrées
Chicken Or Salmon Santorini
Your choice of grilled tender breast of chicken or Pacific salmon
filet topped with a Mediterranean mix of zesty mixed olives, artichoke
hearts, roasted red pepper, Feta cheese and a touch of Balsamic vinegar.
Served with roasted red potatoes and fresh seasonal vegetables.
$11.50
Turkey Pot Roast
A lighter version of the homemade classic! Savory Turkey "Pot Roast",
served with mashed potatoes and harvest vegetable medley.
$11.95
Portabello Raviolis
A Hobee's favorite! Portabello stuffed raviolis tossed in your choice
of Basil, Chipotle or Sun-dried Tomato Pesto. Served with grilled Ciabatta.
$11.95
The Dang Good BBQ Burger
Our beef, veggie or turkey patty smothered in a rich BBQ sauce, caramelized
onions and gouda cheese. It's Dang Good!
$8.95
Winter Breaded Chicken Salad
Mixed greens topped with artichoke hearts, grape tomatoes, black olives,
sautéed wild mushrooms and slices of juicy breaded chicken breast.
Tossed with a tangy Feta Vinaigrette dressing.
$10.95
Parmesan Trout
Parmesan crusted Rainbow Trout grilled to perfection and served with
a hearty harvest vegetable medley. Served with grilled Ciabatta.
$11.95
Just for Kids
Dunkers
Dinosaur chicken nuggets, smiley potatoes, and baby carrots served with
ketchup, BBQ sauce and ranch for dunking. Great as a family appetizer,
too!
$4.95
Turkey "Sliders"
Two mini turkey burgers topped with cheese and served with our
famous smiley potatoes.
$4.95
Dinner is served! Enjoy these specials for a limited time
at Stanford,
Palo
Alto, Sunnyvale
or Pruneyard.
STARS OF CYCLING
VISIT HOBEE'S STANFORD
Members of Team BMC signed posters for all of our young customers
during a recent "Kids Eat Free" night.
On January 9, Hobee’s Stanford hosted the entire BMC Cycling Team
for dinner. Sixteen very hungry athletes showed up on that Wednesday,
a "Kids Eat Free" night, to enjoy a hosted meal, meet our customers and
sign autographs. Palo Alto Mayor Yoriko Kisimoto was also in attendance.
The BMC Racing Team is a mixture of neo pros and riders with professional
experience. Lead by American veteran Scott Moninger, the most successful
active racer in the U.S. to date, and Swiss rider Alexander Moos, the team
is likely to make a noticeable first impression when they participate in
next month's Amgen Tour of California. The Tour is an eight-day US cycling
event starting in Palo Alto on Sunday February 17, 2008. Teams from around
the world will be coming to California for the largest, international professional
cycling race in the United States. Hobee's will be participating in
several promotions in connection with the event.
ANNOUNCING OUR 2007 ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
FINALISTS!
Stanford General Manager Jose Valencia (pictured with
wife Rosa at last year's ceremony) has been a
finalist a record nine times, including this year!
Thanks to all of our employees who submitted nomination
forms for the Hobee's Achievement Awards!
Our version of the Oscars is now in its 15th year. We were
impressed by the comments submitted by our employees on behalf of their
outstanding co-workers. Our committee had a very difficult task when
they met to select winners by secret ballot on December 6. As usual,
they did a terrific job, carefully considering each nominee.
We are thrilled to announce that this year’s event will be held at
The Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose on January 28. At the event, we’ll
be honoring many outstanding individuals, including the following who
are Finalists for the Fifteenth Annual Hobee’s Achievement Awards:
Finalists – 2007 Hobee’s Achievement Awards
Note: Each + = Winner in Category in a Prior Yr.
Each * = Finalist in Category in a Prior Yr.
OUTSTANDING GENERAL MANAGER
Misael Morales (Sunnyvale) +*
Jose Valencia (Stanford) +++++***
Felipe Zarate (Pruneyard) +****
OUTSTANDING KITCHEN MANAGER
Javier Bracamontes (Pruneyard) ++**
Daniel Chijate (Stanford) ++******
Hilario Fuentes (Redwood Shores) +***
OUTSTANDING MANAGER / ASST. MANAGER
Jose Abalos (Redwood Shores / Stanford)
Ranulfo Alba (Pruneyard / Sunnyvale)
Raphael De Oliveira (Palo Alto / Stanford)
Roberto Diaz (Stanford)
OUTSTANDING SERVER
Juventino Diaz (Redwood Shores) *
Kareena Ban (Stanford)
Giovanni Mata (Montague Expressway)
Pablo Navarrete (Sunnyvale) +
Salomon Santos (Cupertino) **
Marcos Wence (Palo Alto) *
OUTSTANDING HOST
Jose Abzun (Sunnyvale)
Maria Barajas (Montague Expressway)
Jacqueline Dimas (Pruneyard)
Noe Mata (Stanford)
Eduardo Rodriguez (Palo Alto) +**
James Talbot (Stanford)
OUTSTANDING KITCHEN CREWMEMBER
Salvador Vasquez (Sunnyvale)
Jose Estrada (Stanford) **
Carlos Ponzo (Pruneyard)
Veronica Nuve (Redwood Shores)
Jose Uriostegui (Cupertino / Sunnyvale) *
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Jacqueline Dimas (Pruneyard)
Alejandra Fernandez (Redwood Shores)
Vinicius Oliveira (Stanford)
Ignacio Morales (Stanford)
CUSTOMERS’ CHOICE AWARD
Conny Cruz (Mountain View) ***
Jorge Jimenez (Pruneyard)
Maribel Jimenez (Cupertino / Mountain View / Sunnyvale)
Leticia Martinez (Montague Expressway) ***
Elena Perez (Sunnyvale) ++****
CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS YEAR’S FINALISTS!
FACEBOOKERS: JOIN THE I LOVE HOBEE'S GROUP!
Those of you pokers and superpokers on the networking site Facebook
now have a new must join Group: I Love Hobee's!
Formed in early October, the site is just getting off the ground
with some background text and photos. However, we plan to introduce
discussion topics and even offer Facebook only promotional offers. Check
us out and add our group to your profile!
MOONLIGHT RUN TEAM TEARS IT UP IN THE PALO
ALTO BAYLANDS
For the first time in several
years, Hobee's put together a team of runners for the Palo Alto Weekly's
popular "Moonlight Run". Because it was cloudy on the evening of
September 28, runners coped with a darker than usual course. Nevertheless,
all participants enjoyed the experience of striding under the harvest moon.
The finish line offered many delicious treats including Hobee's coffeecake.
In fact, the Moonlight Run is one of our largest donations of the
year. We donate about 2,000 pieces of coffeecake to the event.
Congratulations to this year's finishers: Melissa Talbot (Montague),
Juan Vargas and Edward Fike (Corporate) ran the 10K; Carlos Ibanes (Corporate)
and Jose Abalos completed the 5K run; and Maribel Jimenez walked the 5K
course.
BEST BREAKFAST / BRUNCH AWARDS: CHERISHED REPEATS IN TWO LOCAL
PAPERS
We're pleased to announce that several
of Hobee's most impressive streaks continue: For the seventeenth consecutive
year, Hobee's was named "Best Breakfast" (as part of the Hall of Fame)
by the Palo Alto Weekly readers. We also took the Best Brunch title
for the fourteenth straight time. Meanwhile, next door in Mountain
View, readers of the Mountain View Voice say that we have the
Best Breakfast / Brunch in MV for the fifteenth 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!
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!)
ACAI: THIS SUPER FRUIT WILL SUPER FREAK YOU OUT!
For the past several years, Hobee's
has been a proud purveyor of Acai, a "super fruit" harvested in the
rainforests of the Amazon. Acai is a dark purple berry rich in
antioxidants and Omega fats. It's a healthy way to gain a natural
energy boost and it tastes amazing (think blueberry and cocoa).
Formerly just an Energy Blend option, Acai is now part of our
tropical special summer promotion: "The Acai Rio Bowl". Through
the end of August (and possibly beyond if you love it as much as we do!),
the Rio Bowl is available for $ 7.75. Enjoy a generous portion of
frozen Acai topped with Hobee's famous granola and fresh banana slices.
Taste for yourself the healthy treat that Brazilians have elevated
to a national obsession!
HOBEE'S HELPS THE FAMILY GIVING TREE'S BACKPACK DRIVE FOR KIDS
For the second consecutive year, Hobee's was a proud
sponsor of the Family Giving Tree's Back to School Backpack Drive.
(Visit http://www.familygivingtree.org for more information.)
This program operates much like The Family Giving Tree's Holiday
Program, where wish cards are located at Bay Area businesses and schools.
Host companies, groups, organizations or schools display colorful posters
attractively decorated with cards listing needed school supplies. Individuals
have two ways to participate: take a card and shop for a new backpack and
fill it with recommended school supplies or provide funds either by mail,
phone, or online and we will purchase the items. FGT collects and sorts
the backpacks, and distributes them to low-income students via teachers
and social service agencies.
Hobee's customers and crew were quite generous and turned in
79 amply filled backpacks.
Thanks to all those who helped this vital cause!
HOBEE'S NEW GIFT CARDS ARE THE PERFECT
TOKEN OF APPRECIATION!
Your favorite Hobee's fan will flip for a gift card!
If you're reading this, chances are that you or someone
you care about would love something from Hobee's on their next occasion
for celebration. End of the work week? A new episode
of 24? Calling in sick to work when you're really pretty
OK? All great reasons to celebrate. Make it even better
with a Hobee's gift card!
Hobee's gift cards are valid for any dollar amount
at all locations except Cupertino.
Stop in to your favorite Hobee's to order or use
our convenient, secure web site at https://ptaber.securesites.com/retail/retail.html
THE HARDEST PART OF OUR
STAR CREWMEMBER PROGRAM?
CHOOSING JUST ONE!
As you undoubtedly know, we have lots of terrific employees at Hobee's.
We're so fortunate to have so many workers who stay with
us for over a decade! Every year, we throw a huge awards
ceremony called The Hobee's Achievement Awards, which honors our
best and brightest.
This year, we decided that a year was a long time to wait to recognize
our superstars. So we introduced our Hobee's Star Crewmember of the month program.
We're very pleased with the response to the program (we
receive dozens of nominations each month) and hope you will see
your favorite Hobee's employee listed soon!
Amado Lopez from Mountain View was our August Employee
of the Month.
HOBEE'S GENERAL COUNSEL,
EDWARD FIKE,
PROMOTED TO PRESIDENT
Marathoner Ed Fike won't be able
to run from all of his new responsibilities!
The following is excerpted from
a letter written by Peter Taber which announces a promotion
and a transition (not to be confused with retirement!):
Dear Hobee’s Crewmembers,
I am writing to let you know about
a change in our corporate office structure at Taber Food
Services, Inc. Ed Fike, currently Vice President and General
Counsel, will become President of the company effective October
7, 2005.
Ed has enjoyed a successful 15 year
career with Hobee’s. As an attorney and a member of
the California State Bar, he has significantly helped our
company with legal matters, in addition to handling human resources
and our award-winning community relations program. Ed
worked hard to grow our company and negotiated the deals to open
Montague, Sunnyvale, Redwood Shores and Pruneyard. He
has served 4 terms as President of the Silicon Valley Restaurant
Association and was twice cited as one of the area’s top young business
leaders by the “Silicon Valley Business Journal”. I hope you
will join me in congratulating Ed on this well deserved promotion.
As for me, I will be moving to the
position of Chairman of the Board. This means that
I will still be a part of Hobee’s, yet my duties will not be
as “day to day” as they were. My responsibilities will include
on-going financial and numbers analysis, assistance with promotions
and marketing, on-going menu development, new food ideas, consultation,
overseeing the Board of Directors, etc.
It has been my great pleasure serving
our company as chief executive for the past 2 decades,
but the time has come for TFS to move forward with new leadership.
I am confident that Ed, along with Vice President and Area
Manager Camille Chijate, will continue the outstanding Hobee’s
Tradition we have created throughout the past 31 years.
As always, I will be available to
you for any questions or comments you may have. Be
the best!
Yours truly,
PETER TABER
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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