Photograph by Skye Dunlap
Sporty Spice: Bernard Tougas says his new location will feature good food, big screen TV sports, and a friendly atmosphere.
Jakes of Willow Glen will be the newest in a South Bay chain of family eateries
Bernard Tougas prepares to set up shop on Lincoln Ave.
By Jessica Lyons
After more than 40 years in the industry, Bernard Tougas knows a few things about running an eatery. He knows it takes more than crafting a gourmet pizza or two, and perfecting the recipes for upscale hamburgers and hot sandwiches--although neither of those ever hurt a fledgling diner. He knows that atmosphere is key.
So when Tougas saw a niche waiting to be filled in Willow Glen, he jumped at the chance to open a casual, family-oriented restaurant.
In August, Tougas will add Jake's of Willow Glen to his list of Bay area restaurants.
Right now, the place is vacant, except for a sign hanging across the empty storefront at 1074 Lincoln Ave. In red block letters it reads: "Jake's of Willow Glen. Pizza, Sandwiches, Big Screen TV."
But by the time summer rolls around, Tougas promises, Jake's will be more than just a name on a sign.
"It's as much bang for your buck as you are going to get," Tougas says. He's sticking to the same recipe for success he found in his other restaurants: family-oriented atmosphere, some sports, some brews and food cooked "just the way we like it."
"There will be some brick, some wood, casual," he says, sitting at a table at The Garret, his restaurant in Campbell. "We're kind of fast food, but our place says more 'stay and eat and stay' than 'eat and go.'"
It's a great place for a Friday night date, Tougas adds, whether that be a dinner-and-a-movie date, or a date for the whole family.
"We'll have a big screen TV, some sports, and a place people can come down to watch the Oscars," he says. "We'll have a few pinball machines for the kids, a few video games, but nothing too violent. It's not a bad place for mom and dad to come out with the kids on a Friday night. Dad can sneak a peek at the TV, the kids can run about and nobody gets excited if there's a spill on the floor."
It isn't surprising that spills don't bother Tougas, considering that he kind of got into the restaurant business by accident.
Tougas and his wife, Doris, had just moved from Canada to Mountain View, and Tougas was working at Safeway in Redwood City. After his wife befriended a couple across the street, the two approached Bernard and Doris with a business proposition: buy into The Oasis, a sports bar and restaurant in Menlo Park.
"He said, 'Would you like to get into the restaurant business? It's very easy' and I said, 'What have we got to lose?'" Tougas remembers. He bought his neighbors' share of the restaurant, and entered into a partnership with a man he didn't even know.
For an "easy" profession, food services turned out to be a lot of work, Tougas soon learned. For the first five years, neither of the partners took a single day off. They couldn't afford to hire any extra help.
"He'd work nights and I'd work days, and then we'd switch off," Tougas remembers.
But finally, business started picking up, and the 50-cent hamburgers and 25-cent beers started paying off. The two were able to bring the little restaurant out of debt and start making a profit. Soon, The Oasis, Tougas' only restaurant at the time, began to multiply. Next there was the Wine Cellar in Los Gatos, then The Garret, and now, seven restaurants later, Tougas is moving on to Willow Glen. He still owns five of his restaurants: The Oasis, The Boardwalk in Los Altos, Jake's of Sunnyvale, Jake's of Saratoga and The Garret in Campbell.
For Jake's fans from other regions of the Valley, rest assured, Jake's of Willow Glen will have a similar menu: soups and salads, hamburgers, hot sandwiches and specialty pizzas. Tougas recommends the "Gilroy Special."
The restaurant will also feature a wine and beer bar, host community events and offer catering services. He's looking forward to moving to the neighborhood, Tougas says.
"It's a great community for new business," Tougas says. "It's a great community to live in, and every great community needs a nice little place."
He's just hoping that nice little place will be Jake's.
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
