The Willow Glen Resident

White Dove takes over Intermission Cafe's lease

Owners plan to triple the size of restaurant, add Sunday brunch

By Michelle Ku

The Intermission Cafe site has languished vacant in the Garden Theater for nearly 2 1/2 months now. But beginning in April, the White Dove Cafe will spring to new life--three times bigger--in that spot.

Last week, the owners of the White Dove Cafe, Intermission Cafe and Garden Theater reached an agreement for White Dove to take over the Intermission Cafe's 10-year lease.

When the Intermission Cafe closed its doors in January due to time and financial pressures and owner Mike Mikhail's heart illness, only two years and eight months of the lease had expired. Rather than letting the space stay vacant, Mikhail needed to find someone to take it over. White Dove owners David Laing and Jeff Michel said they decided to pursue the lease because they wanted to expand the cafe from a mere eight tables.

"We've outgrown our space," Michel said. "We're constantly trying to wait for 20 to 30 people each weekend night, if not more." Laing and Michel say they hope escrow will close by the end of the month so they can move the cafe in April.

By moving to the Intermission Cafe space, the size of the White Dove triples, with room for 25 tables. "We turn a lot of people away now, but with the additional space we should be able to seat them," Laing said, "It's also a nicer space away from [Sharky's] bar behind us."

The White Dove's proprietors had been looking for a new location for the last year or so. "We did not want to leave Willow Glen, and it came up at the right time," Laing said. "We've kept our eyes open."

Before choosing White Dove, Mikhail had negotiated with at least four interested parties over the location, said his daughter, Sally Mikhail. One of the factors in his decision is the White Dove's proven track record in the area.

"They're already established in Willow Glen," Sally Mikhail said. "We want whatever business that's going to go in there to succeed. It seemed to fit in that respect."

The White Dove will remain at its present location through the end of the month. Laing says he thinks Saturday, March 28, will be its last day there.

In preparation for the move, the White Dove will be closed for about two weeks as its proprietors redecorate. While the White Dove prepares for its grand reopening, Laing and Michel will work on the flow of food service in the new location. "We'll be doing some invitation-only dinners, lunches and events as we try to debug our food service, you might say," Laing said.

The White Dove will still serve lunch and dinner seven days a week, and eventually will offer Sunday brunch, Michel said.

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