WHAT'S NEW AT HOBEE'S
August 2010 - We
are loving the Summer of 2010 (well, except for that little soccer tournament
that sabotaged several of our Saturdays!). Anyway, great to see so many of
you relaxing at Hobee's. Summer is definitely a time to slow down and
recharge. We're glad to be a part of your routine!
HOBEE'S SERVES TENNIS SUPERSTARS
The 2010 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. This year, Maria Sharapova and Lindsay
Davenport, each with three Grand Slam singles titles on their resume, enjoyed
Hobee's hospitality. (Davenport personally told president Edward Fike
that she is a big Hobee's fan.)
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 will be presented on May 25, 2010, during California Small Business
Day 2010, a special event hosted by the California Small Business Association.
Governor Arold Schwarzenegger is expected to attend.
“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 BENEFITS TWO LOCAL
CHARITIES ON APRIL 29
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
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!
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.
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!
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
On January 25, many of our finest employees were honored
at the 17th Annual Hobee's Achievment Awards, the company's annual recognition
event. The Achievement Awards brought together 250 crewmembers, family
members, customers and VIPs to celebrate the accomplishments of our hardworking
staff. We also inducted three regular customers into the Hobee's
Hall of Fame.
All winners and finalists were publicly presented with gifts and
commendations. Chances are, you know at least one of the following:
Outstanding Host – Shawn
Brady (Stanford)
Outstanding Manager – Raphael Oliveira (Los
Gatos)
Rookie of the Year – Shawn Brady, again!
(Stanford)
Outstanding Kitchen Crewmember – Eduardo
Virrueta (Stanford)
Customers’ Choice Award – Elena Perez (Sunnyvale)
Length of Service Awards (5 Years) – Paula
Parnello (Cupertino); Angel Arellano (Los Gatos); Giovanni Mata (Montague);
Alma Osornio and Abael Rangel (Pruneyard); Ranulfo Alba, Benito Diaz and
Jose Ignacio Fuentes (Redwood Shores); Edgar Dominguez and Melissa Talbot
(Stanford); and Richard Santos (Sunnyvale).
Length of Service Awards (10 Years) – Adriana
Bosques (Cupertino); Gabriel Pardo (Los Gatos); Agustin Perez (Puneyard);
Juventio Diaz (Redwood Shores); Teodoro Campos and Rafael Virrueta (Stanford)
Supportive Organization Award – Waiter.com
Hobee’s Hero – Gabriel Pardo (Los Gatos)
Highest Annual Sales Awards – Montague (2
Periods) and Stanford (3 Periods)
Secret Shopper Award – Stanford
Customer Hall of Fame Induction – George
and Diana Mihalakis (Montague Expressway); David and Leslie Tregob (Redwood
Shores); and Steve Zuckerman (Pruneyard)
Length of Service Awards (15 Years) – Moncia
Allamandola and Floriberto Gomez (Cupertino); Jose Valencia (Los Gatos);
Gabriel Virrueta (Palo Alto); Roque Marin (Sunnyvale)
Length of Service Awards (20 Years) – Francisco
Ramirez (Montague); Nory Deleon (Sunnyvale)
Length of Service Awards (25 Years) – Marcial
Carlos (Sunnyvale)
Outstanding Kitchen Manager – Hilario Fuentes
(Redwood Shores)
Outstanding Server – Carlos Quintero (Los
Gatos) and Rafael Virrueta (Stanford)
Outstanding General Manager – Sergio Gutierrez
(Palo Alto)
Paul Taber Commitment to Excellence Award
– Guadalupe Tapia (Sunnyvale)
$ 500 Raffle Grand Prize – Jorge Arreola
(Pruneyard)
Congratulations to all of this year's winners and finalists!
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
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
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!
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!
READY FOR OUR CLOSE UP: HOBEE'S FEATURED ON NBC 11
An NBC 11 report featuring Hobee’s aired on February 20th
on the 11:00 PM news telecast. Reporter Mary Ann Favro presented
a story about how businesses are coping with the slow economy by offering
customers unique incentives. Favro told us that she is a big
Hobee’s fan and frequently takes advantage of Kids Eat Free on Wednesday
nights. She immediately thought of us for this the story.
Filming occurred at Hobee’s Los Gatos. Favro interviewed
president Edward Fike, but also needed to speak with some kids.
Since it was a Tuesday afternoon, we wanted to make sure that we had
some youngsters available. So, we brought in the telegenic Chijate
kids – Gigi, Toni and Diego – to “play” happy Hobee’s kids. They
did a great job, as did server Alan Gomez, who made the most of his
screen time!
If you have kids under 10 and are looking to save
a few bucks, join us for Kids Eat Free every Wednesday night after
5:00 PM. We give one free kid's meal (off our special menu)
per adult at the following locations: Los
Gatos, Palo Alto South, Pruneyard, Stanford
and Sunnyvale. (And if you're
looking for a relaxing place to have dinner....join us any night other
than Wednesday!)
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!
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.
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!)
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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