Over the last 30 years, Klaus Pache and his Paris-born wife, Yvonne, have been serving French California cuisine to celebrities and to some of the valley's most important business leaders, not to mention plenty of Saratoga residents. Pache's restaurant, the Plumed Horse, at 14555 Big Basin Way, has provided him and his family with plenty of memories.

Last month, Pache decided the time had come to retire and put the restaurant up for sale. His wife has been ill and selling the restaurant would give the two of them more time together.

"She's doing much better than she did over the last 2 ¹/2 years," Pache said. "We have to spend much more time taking care of each other than we can now."

But Pache makes it clear that the Plumed Horse is not shutting its doors. He said that he and his son Greg, who is the general manager, would operate the restaurant until new owners are found.

Once the restaurant is sold, Pache will retire from a career in the hospitality industry that spanned two continents and more than half a century. He is originally from Koblenz, Germany, a major wine-making region.

"I went to an apprenticeship and schooling in hospitality and that's all I've done for the last 55 years," he said.

He moved to New York in 1959 because "that's usually where the action is." He then worked in Washington, D.C., and in 1961 moved to San Francisco. "Back East, New York and Washington reminded me of the weather conditions in Germany I wanted to escape. When you are young and ambitious, California is everybody's dream."

Pache's California dream involved seven years as a managing partner of La Hacienda on Saratoga-Los Gatos Road. "I decided to be on my own," he said. "I sold my interest in La Hacienda and purchased the Plumed Horse."

In the 19th century, the building where the Plumed Horse is today was a stable where a tinker kept his old horse. The tinker had the horse wear a hat with a feather plume to chase away the flies. When the stable burned down, it was rebuilt as The Plumed Horse Junk Shop. Later it became a tearoom, called the Plumed Horse, and then a restaurant of the same name.

Pache purchased the restaurant in 1975. "It was already well known and one of the premier restaurants in Santa Clara Valley at that time," he said.

Pache added his own personal touch. "For 25 years, when anyone walked into the restaurant the first person they would encounter was Yvonne," he said. Customers became friends, he explained. "We have people from 30 years ago who are customers today," he said.

Pache said new ownership might mean changes. The last time the restaurant was redecorated was in 1983. "There's always room to bring it up to date and attract some of the younger clientele," he said. "It's high time, even though it is still beautiful."

Once it is sold, the Paches will remain in their home behind the restaurant. "That is something we will always do," he said.

"We would like to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all the support over the past 30 years," he added.

The Plumed Horse may be up for sale, but it is still open for business. "I would like to see as many people come by and show them that we are doing things as before," Pache said. "We are still here."