The Sun Sunnyvale's Newspaper Photograph by Skye Dunlap Mission City Coffee's new owners Marry Anne and Bruce Zandi kept the cafe's famous coffee, but reworked hours to better suit customers. Bean to Mission City? Coffee shop's new owners upgrade decor and service By Pam Marino There's something new brewing at the Mission City Coffee Roasting Company in Cupertino. Bruce and Marry Anne Zandi purchased the franchise for the coffeehouse a couple of months ago with promises to improve service. The place had a reputation for opening doors late to customers, but no more under their management, the two said. The Zandis have also worked to improve the decor of the coffeehouse, adding plants and other touches to give the place more of a homey feel. "Before, this place was kind of like a cave," Bruce Zandi said. Despite lots of windows, the shop, which is tucked in behind the old Harry's Hofbrau on Stevens Creek, has a roof hanging over the porch, which made the inside a little dark. The Zandis cleaned up the store and added a few new pieces of furniture to brighten it up. A couch and easy chair remain from the previous owners so customers can get comfortable while sipping their cappuccinos and lattes. "We've tried to make this place a more pleasant place for people to come in," Marry Anne Zandi said. Other coffeehouses, she said, are too "business-like." She said she and her husband are striving for a more homelike atmosphere where people can relax. "It's a nice place for people to sit and talk to a friend," she said. In sunny weather the porch features a number of tables and chairs for outdoor enjoyment. In addition, the two said they make sure everything is fresh, brewing fresh pots of coffee every couple of hours, and having just-baked pastries brought in every single morning. The coffeehouse also features a chess tournament every Friday night. The Zandis said they still feature Mission City Coffee Roasting Company's beans, which are roasted fresh on the premises. They said the coffee has a very good reputation--the reason, they said, that other coffee shops in the area purchase beans from them. Customers can purchase the roasted beans by the pound, at prices that compete with local supermarkets'. Prices are $7.99 a pound for four pounds or less, and $7 a pound for purchases above four pounds. Mission City Coffee Roasting Company's prices range from 90 cents for a small coffee to $3.25 for a large cappuccino or cafe mocha. The shop also sells herbal teas, fruit juices and sodas. Mission City Coffee Roasting Company is located at 19636 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino, in the Marketplace shopping center. The hours are 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Call 257-4076 for more information. [ Back to Contents Page | Sunnyvale Sun Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, December 9, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.