Printers Cafe set to shutter, make way for new gym

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Printers Cafe, a California Avenue mainstay that opened as a bookstore more than 40 years ago before transitioning into a restaurant, is preparing to shutter in early April to accommodate a new gym.

The city is currently reviewing plans from the owners of Palo Alto Fit, whose gym is currently located at Portage Avenue but who want to move the business to California Avenue. Nina Nguyen, owner of Palo Alto Fit, wants the gym to occupy the two buildings on California Avenue, near Birch Street: 310 California Ave., which currently houses another gym, Performance Gaines; and 320 California Ave., which includes Printers Cafe and its two subtenants, Gallery House Fine Art and Moods Wine Bar.

In her October 2023 application, Nguyen described Palo Alto Fit as a “boutique specializing in personal training and nutrition consultation.” The mission, she wrote, is to “assist clients with health-related concerns, serving a diverse clientele from all age, primarily in Palo Alto.”

The gym project is not, however, a done deal. To open a gym at the Printers Cafe building, Nguyen has to obtain a conditional use permit from the city, which will entail reviews by the Planning and Transportation Commission and the City Council, according to the Department of Planning and Development Services.

Nguyen told this publication in an email that after 10 years of using different sites, including the current one at 425 Portage Ave., her team has been looking for a permanent location. The search has spanned several years, she said, as they looked for a space that “remains convenient for our clients and accommodates our needs.”

“After an extensive search, the California Avenue building was the best option,” she wrote. “California Avenue is also the great location for our clients, as it is within walking and biking distance from their homes. We also have more public transportation and parking options available than we do today.”

Nguyen and Mirco Horst purchased the properties at 310 and 320 California Ave. in June 2023 for $2.9 million, according to records from Santa Clara County Assessor’s Office.

Nguyen said her team also plans to open a new cafe at 320 California Ave. as part of its proposal for the building. The specialty cafe, she said, will “offer a refined selection of great coffees (and) healthy food items.”

“Designed as a healthy retreat, it will provide the community with a space to convene for relaxation and enjoyment in an inviting ambiance,” she wrote in an email. “A place where you can sit down and enjoy high-quality coffee and some healthy snacks.”

But the proposed cafe also means a very likely — and very imminent — departure of Printers Cafe, a neighborhood institution that began as a book store, Printers Inc. The book store opened in 1978 and shuttered in 2001.

Al Ghaufari, owner of Printer’s Cafe, said his current lease is expiring on April 6. Ghaufari, who bought the cafe more than 15 years ago, said he was disappointed to learn earlier this year that he will likely be forced to leave California Avenue. While he had initially hoped to negotiate an extension to stay for three to five more years, the building’s owners have recently indicated that the lease would not be extended.

The cafe, he said, has a long history in Palo Alto and many of his customers have been patronizing the business for more than 30 years. Some of his employees have worked at the cafe for more than 18 years and he was hoping to keep the business open for a few more years to help support them.

“While I’m disappointed, I’m still hopeful we can meet and find an amicable solution,” Ghaufari said.

If forced to leave, as seems likely, he said does not plan to reopen elsewhere.

His two subtenants, meanwhile, are already preparing for new locations. Moods Wine Bar is moving to Sunnyvale, where it will add Afghani cuisine to its menu, said Mahmoud Saljooqi, owner of Moods.

A former hairstylist, Saljooqi worked at salons on University Avenue and on Birch Street before taking the leap into the wine business. His relationship with Printers Cafe began like it does for most customers: He stopped by in the afternoon for a cup of coffee. He opened Moods in 2017, seeing the new business as a way to both fulfill his dream and help the cafe with rent.

Saljooqi said in an interview he was grateful for his time at Printers Cafe and his partnership with Ghafouri.

“It was an amazing experience and journey for me, honestly,” Saljooqi said.

He began looking for a new location earlier this year, when he learned that the Printers Cafe lease is unlikely to be renewed. His new location, he said, will be at 111 Evelyn Ave. in Sunnyvale. While he’s looking forward to the new venture, Saljooqi said he is sad to depart Palo Alto.

“I’d rather have stuck around here on Cal Ave.,” Saljooqi said.

The Gallery House is also leaving, though it’s probably not going far. The contemporary art gallery has found a potential location along Santa Cruz Avenue in Menlo Park, according to Peter Koltai, board chair at the Gallery House. While the location is now being renovated, the deal has not yet been finalized, he said.

Koltai said in an interview that it became clear in recent months that the gallery, which has been in Palo Alto for 65 years, would not be able to afford the rent that would have been required under the new building owners. While Gallery House looked for suitable spaces around both University and California avenues, everything was out of its price range, he said.

“Palo Alto is a fine community and we loved being here,” Koltai said. “It’s gotten to the point now where we cannot afford to be in Palo Alto any longer.”

While Moods and Gallery House are preparing to leave by the end of the month, it’s far from clear when the new gym would open at 310 and 320 California Ave. While the Planning Director Jonathan Lait has the authority to approve conditional use permits, he also has the power to defer this approval to the Planning and Transportation Commission and the City Council.

In this case, he chose to float the project to the planning commission and the council, according to Project Manager Nishita Kandikuppa. The Planning and Transportation Commission is tentatively scheduled to review the conditional use permit request at 6 p.m. on April 10, she said.

While such a process helps ensure that the project is properly vetted and that all major community concerns are addressed, it also creates the potential for a protracted review period. The council’s 2022 vote to approve a conditional use permit for Castilleja School’s campus reconstruction followed six years of public hearings and project modifications.

Nguyen said in an email she plans to eventually close the Portage Avenue location of Palo Alto Fit, though not until the California Avenue location is ready for the move. This, she said, is to ensure a seamless transition for the gym’s clients. The exact timing of the move, however, depends on the length of time it will take to get the conditional use permit and the necessary building permits, as well as the interior remodeling that will need to take place.

In her letter to the city, she made the case that the project will benefit both her business and the Palo Alto community.

“We believe this expansion, combined with our building ownership, will positively impact Palo Alto’s health and well-being,” Nguyen wrote.