By Anne Gelhaus
When Howard and Ada Marie Bull first bought their Saratoga restaurant, Howard envisioned a coffee shop where the menu items would all be lowfat. But when he found he couldn't run both the eatery and his Saratoga glass shop, his wife took charge of the restaurant and changed its menu.
Under Ada Bull's management, Cappuccino Corner serves burritos, quiches and other menu items from Gourmet Express in Burlingame. Soups are made fresh daily, including the restaurant's signature French onion, which is chock-full of crouettes and dripping with melted cheese. The dessert case is full of cheesecakes and filled pastries.
"There's nothing lowfat or fat-free left," Ada says.
Cappuccino Corner also serves Roma espresso and Burlap's coffee. Rather than purchase an espresso machine that automatically sends the same amount of water through every time it's used, Ada uses one that allows her to control the water flow, so customers can specify how strong they want their drinks.
Before becoming a restaurateur, Ada taught business etiquette classes and co-authored a series of children's books in which a feline named Eddy Cat teaches manners. She says this background should help her succeed as a small-business owner.
"People want to learn proper etiquette for two reasons," she adds. "Either they just want to climb the social ladder, or they really care about how they treat others. Those [in the latter group] are the kind of people who make it as entrepreneurs because they care about their customers.
"There are millions of places to get a cup of coffee," Ada continues. "What makes the difference is the person behind the counter--and serving a good cup of coffee."
Cappuccino Corner, 1480 Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road, Saratoga. 725-0334. Hours: Mon.-Thu., 6:30 a.m.- 10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 6:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun., 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, Wednesday, December 20, 1995.
©1995 Metro Publishing Inc. All rights reserved.