But less than a month after the announcement, on Feb. 2, former It's Delicious patron Lou Ferns stepped in and took over Thalberg's inventory

Ferns transformed the shop at 127 S. Murphy Ave. into Lou Lou's Gourmet Shoppe. She's trimmed the operation down but preserved the unique spices, sauces and cooking utensils that made It's Delicious a Sunnyvale favorite.

"It was such a smooth transition," Ferns said. "Within three or four months, I was in."

Almost five months into her operation, Ferns says she is happier than ever and ready to "kick it up a notch."

She hopes to turn her shop into an upscale deli, specializing in one-of-a-kind sandwiches and side dishes. Although she's uncertain how long it will take, she hopes to start within the next two to three months.

She plans to divide her store--a long, narrow space on the west side of Murphy--into a deli portion up front while continuing to sell her inventory in the back half.

Ferns said it's a difficult time to come into the downtown area because all of the stores are struggling. But, like many around her, she looks forward to the proposed redevelopment of the Town Center Mall.

"Hopefully, once the mall gets going we'll get more business," Ferns said. "I think everyone on Murphy is feeling that now."

She said she gets about 30 or 40 customers a week in the store. By continuing where It's Delicious left off, Ferns said she has been able to retain a strong clientele and weathered some of the start-up stresses that face many new business owners.

"It's allowed me to learn how to run a business, to learn about purchasing and ordering and even to learn about the different spices and products we sell here," she said. When she turns the place into a deli, she plans to use many of those same products in her cuisine.

Sunnyvale resident Myrna Blake, a longtime It's Delicious and now Lou Lou's customer, said she has enjoyed the spices, oils and kitchenware she buys there. She says she shops there at least four times a month.

"Most of the stuff I cook with comes from there and it leaves everyone happy," Blake said. "I'm in love with the dishes [from the store]. Every time I present a meal on them, my friends ask where I bought them."

Blake said she is excited about having a high-end deli on S. Murphy Avenue, even if it means losing some of the charm of Lou Lou's and It's Delicious.

"I love the downtown, but there is no place to get a good sandwich," she said. "This is going to have a deli too--not like Subway--but a real, high-end deli."

Ferns said she aims to give Sunnyvale residents an international menu.

"The street is so quiet, you get to sit outside and eat, things like that. It's almost like a little bit of Europe in a sense," Ferns said.

She said she is heavily influenced by Dutch and Indonesian culture, and hopes to reflect that in her menu.

Although she said she has always had a passion for cooking, it wasn't until she left Advanced Micro Devices after 18 years that she decided to make it a career. Ironically, her journey to the shop is the opposite of Thalberg's, who left It's Delicious to return to the high-tech industry.

"I wouldn't change a thing," she said. "I'm not getting paid like I used to, but I'm happier."

For more information of Lou Lou's Gourmet Shoppe, visit www.loulousdeliandgourmet.com or call 408.733.5687.