Saratoga News

Photograph by Robert Scheer

Bill Cooper bought Bella Saratoga less than three years ago, and this year he was named the Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year.

Saratoga Chamber singles out Bill Cooper for annual award

By Sarah Lombardo

He answered a "blind" advertisement in a newspaper announcing a restaurant for sale, and less than three years later, Bella Saratoga owner Bill Cooper is the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce's Business Person of the Year.

"I was surprised," he said of the award, for which a winner was announced Dec. 5. "I was aware that I had been nominated, but ... it was a surprise and an honor."

Cooper bought the restaurant, formerly Bella Mia, in June 1995. Since then, the restaurateur can often be found at the Big Basin Way restaurant, mingling with diners and seeing to business. But his efforts can also be seen outside the restaurant grounds.

"I try to be active in the community and the [Saratoga] Chamber," he said.

To that end, Cooper has been active in the Saratoga Business Development Council and its spinoff association, TEAM Saratoga.

The Oregon native and Campbell resident said he would like to continue to promote Saratoga as a draw for those interested in theater, the arts and fine food. Citing the number of entertainment venues in Saratoga, such as the Mountain Winery and Villa Montalvo, Cooper said Saratoga could do well to develop that aspect of itself.

"I'd like to see our businesses continue to try to work together and improve the business climate in Saratoga," he said, "especially working on our shopping centers and Village to keep making them more attractive without developing them into other centers."

Cooper said he is disappointed when he hears residents or business owners compare Saratoga's business community to other cities' and wonder why it can't be like them. Saratoga, he said, has plenty right here; the businesses just need to make the most of it.

"We have our own uniqueness," he said. "Ours is a really nice place that focuses on the performing arts, and there are wonderful restaurants and a nice mix of boutiques and shops. ... I think we need to continue to improve on that without trying to be like somebody else."

Cooper's history in Saratoga may only be a few years long, but his history with food goes back to college--college campuses, that is. For the 12 years previous to opening up shop in Saratoga, Cooper worked for Marriott, in charge of food services at Santa Clara University. When the job later would have required him to relocate, Cooper said he decided maybe it was time to try something else.

That's when he found the newspaper ad, which stated that a restaurant was for sale but gave no details, such as which restaurant it was. Such ads are designed, Cooper said, to weed out the not-so-serious prospective buyers.

After seeing the restaurant and negotiating, Cooper and his wife went for it, though not without a little trepidation.

"It took a lot of soul-searching to take that first step," he said, "but I think this has been a great fit."

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