Publication Date: Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Shop Talk: Midtown's 'triple threat'
(February 16, 2005)
by Daryl Savage
'DIDDAMS CLOSING' RUMORS PREMATURE . . . Rumors have
been flying around downtown Palo Alto about an impending closure of the Diddam's
Party and Toy Store -- the flagship of a local South Bay chain. But they
are, as Mark Twain might say, greatly exaggerated.
"We're right in the middle of renegotiating our lease. We hope to stay here,
as does our landlord," owner Steve Diddams says. "We're optimistic
we'll come to an agreement soon." But he acknowledged that "it's
been tough for those of us who don't own our own building. Independent
businesses are struggling to survive."
The downtown store, at 215 Hamilton Ave., will celebrate its 15th year in May.
Diddams since has opened other party stores in Mountain View, San Carlos, Cupertino,
and three in San Jose. But he feels emotionally attached to Palo Alto.
"This was our first store. It's my baby," he said. The current lease
runs through April.
COFFEE, COFFEE EVERYWHERE . . . Just days
after Cafe Sophia closed its doors last week in the Charleston Center amidst
reports that its new location may be at 2723 Middlefield Road (former site of
University Florists, local coffee drinkers had already labeled the likely move
as Midtown's "triple threat."
It refers to the close proximity of Starbucks and the Palo Alto Cafe
to Sophia's possible new site, on which there is already a signed letter
of intent. Starting
at Starbucks and walking north on Middlefield to the soon-to-open Cafe
Sophia is 79 steps, latte to latte. Continuing on to Palo Alto Cafe is
another 96 steps.
Throw in the coffee at 7-Eleven and Safeway and there are, count 'em,
five spots to buy coffee in Midtown, all within one city block. Make
that six
if you walk
a bit south to Crème de Café.
Peet's Coffee and Tea, meanwhile, is poised to set up shop in Sophia's
old Charleston Center spot later this spring. The Peet's deal was struck
by San Francisco-based
Village Properties -- the same folks who brought Walgreen's to Midtown,
who said they weren't yet ready to talk about other plans for Charleston,
where tenants
are jittery.
As for the Midtown caffeine concentration, is it just me or does anyone
else miss Bergman's Department Store? They didn't serve coffee, did
they?
AND
EVEN MORE COFFEE . . . Yet another coffee café, Espresso
Bettola Coffee House, is coming to Palo Alto. This one will be located
downtown at
115 Hamilton Ave., just around the corner from the University Avenue
Caltrain station.
Owner Wayne Vicker is hoping to appeal to the Caltrain crowd: "We get 4,000
people on and off this train stop daily," he said.
Vicker, also an inventor, has developed a high-speed espresso maker. "It's
been in my garage for 16 years," and it's time to put it in use, he said.
The prototype now sits on the counter of the shop, ready to go to work. "This
is three times faster than a regular espresso maker. It takes eight seconds to
make espresso and five seconds to froth. It also takes away the bitterness off
the top." Vicker hopes to open his coffee house by March 1, "depending
on city permits."
It is a labor of love: "We carved this space out of nothing," he said
of the area he is subletting from Art21, a contemporary-art gallery that also
offers poetry readings and live jazz. The idea is to sip coffee and be able to
browse the gallery. For those not interested in coffee, poetry, jazz or art,
Vicker offers one other thing: He is an ocean power-boat champion and has won
competitions several times in the past 19 years. Just ask if you want to hear
about some nautical moments. Hours will be from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. -- time for
lots of refills.
AND COFFEE PLUS DESIRE? . . . The wildly successful
Venezuelan coffee shop, Coupa Cafe, celebrates its one-year anniversary
March 1 by beginning a new venture. Owners Nancy and Jean Paul Coupal are opening
a
retail shop just next door in a classic Palo Alto building, designed
by architect Birge Clark, and plan to fill it with "objects of desire." Called
Coupa.Cosas (yes, Coupa-dot-Cosas), the shop will take over the space
of Lynn Hollyn Home
and Garden Design at 536 Ramona Ave.
Jean Paul refers to the beautiful, expansive space -- including textured
walls and a winding staircase up to a mezzanine -- to "a beautiful naked woman" ready
for adornment. Items will range from hand-made handbags to "environmentally
friendly" wooden bowls, chairs and tables made by Venezuelan master
artisans.
"It's super fair trade -- we will give back to the artists a portion of
what we sell their pieces for," he said.
IS WALL STREET TREMBLING? .
. . Are pork belly futures going up? Are Eurodollars coming down? Is
Wall Street as we know it doomed? Now's your chance to ask the expert.
The president of E*Trade Financial Services, Lou Klobuchar, is flying
in from Chicago Thursday (Feb. 17) to answer people's questions at
the official
grand
opening tomorrow of E*Trade's new office in downtown Palo Alto -- once
referred to as "the wooded Wall Street of the West" -- at
124 University Ave.
Maybe they thought no one would notice, but E*Trade actually opened
its doors in Palo Alto in early December -- well, it wasn't official.
Klobuchar
will now
do the honors along with local electeds, business leaders and others
invited to Thursday's 4 to 7 p.m. event.
But it won't all be party, pomp and ceremony: There will be mini-seminars
on topics ranging from online stock and options trading to retirement
plans.
Heard
a rumor about your favorite store or business moving out, or in, down
the block or across town? Daryl Savage will check it out. She can be e-mailed
at shoptalk@paweekly.com.
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