Swenson's ice cream parlor, which closed in July 2003, specialized in serving both ice cream and burgers. The owner of the Lyndon Plaza, John Feece, is taking action to fill the space again, but it will actually be remodeled into two spaces—one selling ice cream, the other burgers.

The space closest to the inner courtyard of the building has been approved to hold the second Coldstone Creamery in Los Gatos. And on July 28, the Los Gatos Planning Commission unanimously approved the use of the second side of the space for a business tentatively called Main Street Burgers.

Main Street Burgers will be owned and operated by Glenn Thompson and Ed Rathmann of Willow Street Wood-Fired Pizza, also in Lyndon Plaza.

During the July 28 meeting, Rathmann explained to commissioners he'd like to offer not only natural beef burgers, but also salmon, turkey, veggie, tofu and lamb burgers, as healthy alternatives.

"It's a perfect match," Rathmann said. "[Main Street Burgers] fills a niche in the community."

In addition, Rathmann said he plans to serve quick and nutritious breakfast options for people on the go who don't have time to sit down for a morning meal. The proposed hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

"There's nowhere to go for a fast breakfast in Los Gatos," Rathmann said. "We felt there's a big need for it."

Rathmann said the burgers will be ordered at the counter, prepared on-site and brought to the customer, similar to Peggy Sue's, a '50s-style diner in downtown San Jose. The food won't be precooked or prepackaged, and there also won't be a takeout window.

Commissioner Michael Burke said he didn't view the breakfast function of the restaurant as a destination, but rather as "a breakfast of opportunity" for people on the move.

"I'll be blunt," Burke said. "If we don't approve this, I think we're being silly. This is just another function of a full-service downtown."

The motion, which was eventually approved by the commissioners, includes stipulations that employees of Main Street Burgers must monitor and empty garbage cans inside and around the location regularly. The restaurant must also use recycled materials whenever possible. Rathmann said he's hoping to have the burger joint, which will seat 26 people, opened by Jan. 1, 2005.