"My grandparents had five acres. They used to call it 'The Ranch.' It was on the corner of Quito and Pollard roads, which is the border of Los Gatos and Campbell," Muller recalls about his boyhood years. "We used to go out there for Sunday barbecues, and there were no houses around. In fact, we used to go target shooting in the creek area, but by the age of 18, I couldn't do it any more—too many houses around."

Muller thinks the valley's planners could have done a better job of leaving more land for open spaces and parks. But, from a business standpoint, he admits he appreciates the growth of the area.

Muller and his brother Tom are the owners of Lou's Village, the successful seafood restaurant and banquet facility at 1465 W. San Carlos St., just west of Meridian Avenue. It was originally a well-known nightclub that his grandfather Santoro, a former San Jose fireman, opened in 1946 with two of his retired firefighting buddies. His son-in-law Frank Muller, Tim and Tom's father, became his partner in 1951 after the other partners left the business.

For 56 years, Lou's Village has survived tough economic periods by periodically adapting itself to changing times. But from its first incarnation as a 5,000-square-foot nightclub with a floor show to its current presence as a well-known, 27,000-square-feet establishment, only the Santoro-Muller family has owned it.

Today, with their parents and grandparents deceased, Tim is responsible for operations and finances, and Tom handles marketing.

"Lou's Village used to be a nightclub with floor shows from 1946 until 1961," Muller says. "The advent of TV killed the entertainment business. People stopped going out. They started staying home, so Lou's Village lost its identity."

Banquet space replaced the nightclub, and in 1965 Lou's Village also began to specialize as a seafood restaurant. When Muller became a partner in the mid-1970s, the facility had 12,000 square feet.

Today, after a series of renovations and expansions, Lou's Village consists of four super-size banquet rooms and five small rooms—all with moveable walls, two kitchens, a restaurant and the Shark's Cove sports bar.

Nautical artifacts throughout the building underscore the wide variety of seafood on the menu. Even surfboards hang from the ceiling of the Shark's Cove, a Muller touch since he loves to surf, especially off Santa Cruz.

"We are a community-based restaurant," Muller says. "We strive to give a good value to the customer, and that's why we're still in business."

Black and white photos of celebrities who have visited Lou's Village over the years adorn the walls of the restaurant and entry room. Muller's favorite is a 1962 photo of Willie Mays autographing a ball for a beaming 12-year-old Muller. It was the kind of reward he got for frequently working with his father as a kid.

Muller works long hours but says he enjoys his home life just minutes away near Cherry and Pine avenues. In 1978 he and his wife, Jill, bought a house in Almaden Valley in a new development.

"It was new, but it was sterile, with no personality," he says.

The couple wound up moving back to Willow Glen in 1982, had two children, Kristina and Michael, and have remained in the same house. For Muller, just like for his parents and grandparents, Willow Glen is home.

For information on the annual New Year's Eve gala at Lou's Village, which features an 11-piece orchestra, call 408.293.4570.