Photograph by George Sakkestad
Owner John Podgurski hefts a turkey sandwhich made at Caffe Ciao, his South Murphy Avenue restaurant.
By KATHERINE PETERSEN
Angie and John Podgurski, a husband-and-wife team, dreamed of having a coffee shop behind their travel agency on South Murphy Avenue in Sunnyvale. It just took them a few years to make it happen.
When the couple bought the building that now houses Allways travel, there weren't any coffee shops on South Murphy.
"We had an empty lot in the back, and we thought a coffee shop would be a nice idea," Angie said.
When construction began on Caffe Ciao in April 1995, there were still no coffee shops on South Murphy.
But as building continued, the Bean Scene and Red Rock Coffee Company sprang into existence.
Plans for Caffe Ciao had to change a bit, Angie said. Now, the restaurant offers sandwiches bulging with meats, vegetables and cheeses, and homemade soups and salads for lunch, as well as bagels and muffins for breakfast. Turkey, roasted fresh each morning, has become very popular.
Customers can also order a range of espresso drinks, including lattes and cappuccinos, to sip either outside or inside while browsing through newspapers or travel brochures. Pictures of Italy, France and other travel destinations hang on two walls, while a third wall is covered with a hand-painted mural.
"It's great because the restaurant and Allways Travel complement each other. A lot of customers will come upstairs to the travel agency after thumbing through some of our brochures," Angie said.
Caffe Ciao's entrance is now off Murphy Avenue, but when its expansion is completed near the end of September, the restaurant will have another door that faces the main street. The expanded restaurant will also offer a full breakfast and will serve dinners with seating on the sidewalk out front, said Angie's son John, the restaurant's manager.
"We will be more visible. We're hoping the expansion will bring in more foot traffic. People can just pop in for a burger or a steak, and our prices will be reasonable," Angie said.
The restaurant's name came from a favorite cafe on Maui that the couple visited during their travels to Hawaii.
Caffe Ciao, 139 S. Murphy Ave. Open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., but will be open until 10 p.m. on weekdays and midnight on weekends after the expansion is completed.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, September 18, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.