We are Brian
and Jeannie Whitlock, co-owners of Brian's Restaurant since July, 2006. We have been in the restaurant business for over
35 years! Back in our past lazy weekends, we used to go
out and try to find a comfortable breakfast restaurant that served a good, freshly made breakfast, like the comfy, delicious,
and special places we found when we lived in Berkeley. A place that served traditional eggs, omelets, pancakes and waffles.
To fill this void, we decided to concentrate on breakfast and lunch, with breakfast our mainstay business. We had found
a niche, which still exists today (weekends are our busiest days). So in 1977, we purchased Los Altos Coffee Shop. Los Altos
Coffee Shop had been a long time soda fountain and lunch counter when we bought it, a typical coffee shop of the times. It
featured a long soda fountain like you would find in an old time drug store. It had built in soda dispensers, an ice cream
freezer, and syrup squirters. Most of the dining room was taken up by two huge counters were shaped in a U so that the regulars
could see one another when they socialized over their morning cup of coffee. Los Altos Coffee Shop was just a great place
to mingle, relax, and enjoy a great breakfast. Over
the years, we received quite a few wonderful write-ups from restaurant critics at the San Jose Mercury, The Palo Alto Times,
and The Town Crier. The San Francisco Chronicle published a guide to great breakfast places on the peninsula and we were included
in their list of "old standbys that are long time Bay Area favorites". Our staff deserves much of the credit for
our success. Most of the kitchen staff has been with us for many years, some of them reaching double digits! The same goes
for our serving staff. We’re all one big family.
In May of 2008, sadly, after more than 31 years, we had to close the
doors of Los Altos Coffee Shop. It was the end of era. Nowadays, most people think of Starbucks or Peets when you say coffee
shop. Brian's Restaurant is Los Altos Coffee Shop, in a beautiful location with outdoor seating (weather permitting) on our
patio, with space to accomodate large groups and free WIFI, same great food!
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