Another San Jose IPO: A10 Networks

We have another public company in the area! Last week A10 Networks had their Initial Public Offering (IPO) and raised $187 million. A10 sells hardware that speeds up the delivery of web applications as well as manage bandwidth and network identity. The money will be used to build up the company's engineering, sales, and marketing departments. If you are looking for a tech job, now may be a good time to head over to the A10 website.

A10's corporate headquarters is located a 3 West Plumeria Drive in North San Jose.

Source: SVBJ

2nd San Jose Chick-fil-A Grand Opening on April 3rd

The first Chick-fil-A in Silicon Valley opened at the @First shopping center in North San Jose a couple years ago. On opening weekend, it had one of the longest lines I have ever seen for any restaurant. Chick-fil-A is hoping for a repeat of that success with their second San Jose restaurant at 2280 Monterey Road near The Plant. As is tradition, they will be giving away a free year supply of Chick-fil-A to the first 100 people in line. Bring a tent if you plan to be one of those people! (Side-note: entertainment, music, and food will be provided for campers.)

Chick-fil-A is also partnering with Sacred Hearts Community Service to host a food drive on April 2nd. For every five food items brought for the food pantry, guests will receive a coupon for a free Chick-fil-A entree. More info below in the press release.

April 3 Opening of San Jose’s Newest Chick-fil-A Restaurant Creates Nearly 70 Jobs;

First 100 Adults in Line at New Restaurant to Win Free Year’s Supply of Chick-fil-A Meals

New Stand-Alone Restaurant at 2280 Monterey Road to Host Food Drive with Sacred Heart Community Service

                SAN JOSE, Calif. (April 3, 2014) – San Jose’s newest stand-alone Chick-fil-A^® restaurant at 2280 Monterey Road will open April 3, bringing nearly 70 new jobs and the chance for 100 adults to win free Chick-fil-A meals for a year as the chain marks the 50^th anniversary of its signature Chick-fil-A sandwich.

                Chick-fil-A’s “First 100” event, which began as a way to celebrate the first stand-alone Chick-fil-A in Arizona in 2003, immediately became the cornerstone of every Chick-fil-A grand opening when the first person arrived more than 18 hours the day before, wondering where to get in line. Others soon followed and by the time the restaurant opened for business the next day, more than 100 were waiting.

                 Humbled and surprised by the dedication of its fans, Chick-fil-A quickly implemented the “First 100” at every grand opening and in the past 10 years has given away almost $21 million in free food at more than 750 grand openings.

The new San Jose restaurant will be the scene of the latest Chick-fil-A grand opening celebration. The first 100 adults, ages 18 and older with identification, in line when the doors open about 6 a.m. on Thursday, April 3, each will win a one-year supply of free Chick-fil-A^® Meals (52 meals consisting of a Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, medium Waffle Potato Fries™ and a medium drink) – a total of more than $30,000 in free food. The line officially opens at 6 a.m., Wednesday, April 2, with the free meal cards being awarded Thursday, April 3, around 6 a.m. The restaurant will open for business immediately thereafter. If there are more than 100 people by 6 a.m. on Wednesday, April 2, all 100 spots will be determined by a drawing held that morning with those selected needing to camp out to secure their spot. For complete rules, see Chick-fil-A First 100 Promotion.

In conjunction with the First 100 celebration, the new San Jose Chick-fil-A is partnering with Sacred Heart Community Service to host a food drive at the new restaurant between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., Wednesday, April 2. Chick-fil-A Owner/Operator Shannon Balderas will award a coupon for a free Chick-fil-A entrée for every five non-perishable food items donated. Sacred Heart provides essential services, empowers people to improve their lives, advocates for justice and inspires volunteers to love, serve and share.

The new restaurant comes 30 years after Chick-fil-A first opened in California in a Cerritos mall in 1984. After 20 years of operating in several Southern California mall locations, Chick-fil-A opened its first two stand-alone restaurants 10 years ago in Chino Hills and Irvine in early 2004. The new restaurant on Monterey Road will be the second Chick-fil-A restaurant in San Jose, joining the first Bay Area stand-alone Chick-fil-A which opened on Headquarters Drive in 2012. The two are among 68 restaurants operating in California. The newest San Jose Chick-fil-A is the first of nine restaurants projected to open in California this year bringing nearly 600 new jobs to the state and is among 88 new locations the chain is opening nationwide this year, creating more than 6,700 new jobs overall. Chick-fil-A opened more restaurants than ever before in 2013 with 114 new locations added across the country. 

With a degree in kinesiology, Balderas graduated from the University of Texas and then pursued her Masters in social work at the University of Houston. After a career as a Houston Police Department lieutenant and District leader of security at Target, Balderas decided to pursue the dream of becoming a Chick-fil-A operator almost four years ago. A Santa Clara County resident, Balderas, her husband Rogelio and their family look forward to serving their community.

 “Our focus on freshly prepared food and personal customer service is as central to our new restaurant as it was the day Truett opened his first Chick-fil-A location,” said Balderas. “That commitment continues for me and my team members at our new San Jose location where we can’t wait to continue welcoming and serving our guests in the community.”

The new restaurant seats 111 and has warm colors and wood accents. It offers the convenience of free Wi-Fi and features the chain’s latest interior and kitchen design. Additionally, customers will find that the chain’s dual drive-thru ordering point design helps to expand its award-winning drive-thru service.  With a majority of customers at Chick-fil-A stand-alone restaurants choosing drive-thru, the ability for two drivers to simultaneously order should mean quicker service. Families can also enjoy the interactive play area. The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., serving a full breakfast menu until 10:30 a.m.

It was 50 years ago that Truett Cathy first began serving his boneless breast-of-chicken sandwich, pressured cooked and served on a buttered bun with two crucial pickles, at the Dwarf Grill in Hapeville, Ga. It was the signature menu item when the first

Chick-fil-A restaurant opened in 1967 and though many other selections have been added over the past five decades, it remains the centerpiece of the menu as the chain has grown to more than 1,803 restaurants in 39 states and Washington D.C.

Chick-fil-A continues to win industry accolades including Men’s Health “Eat This, Not That” 2013 edition which again gave the chain high marks (A-) and named it one of the top two restaurants providing healthier menu options.

For more information on the San Jose Chick-fil-A restaurant visit on Facebook at Chick fil A Monterey & Tully.

About Chick-fil-A, Inc.
Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, Inc. is a family owned and privately held restaurant company dedicated to serving the communities in which its restaurants operate. Credited with inventing the chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-A serves nutritious, freshly prepared food in 1,803 restaurants in 39 states and Washington, D.C.

Founded by S. Truett Cathy in 1967, Chick-fil-A produced sales of $5 billion in 2013. Chick-fil-A was recognized in 2013 as one of America’s “Most Inspiring Companies” by Forbes Magazine and “Best Places to Work” by Glassdoor™, among other honors. More information on Chick-fil-A is available on the chain’s website, located at www.chick-fil-a.com.

March 2014 Downtown Dimension Highlights

Here are my notes from the latest edition of Downtown Dimension:

• 43 new Downtown San Jose eateries have opened in the past 18 months, representing 20% of the total restaurants Downtown today [Josh: a bit less than 20%, but still a huge number]
• Da Kine Island Grill opened on March 8th and Paper Plane opens next month.
• The Downtown Street Life plan is gaining traction and will provide 40 different projects aimed at creating more comfortable spaces Downtown.
• Blackbird tavern is now using the neighboring space for private parties and events.
• Electric Cloud has moved its Sunnyvale headquarters and about 70 employees to 35 S. First St.
• A 20,000 SQFT space at 130 Almaden will become Paul Mitchel The School, hosting 30 employees training 200-25 cosmetology students at a time.
• Free ultra high-speed internet is being offered as an incentive for companies that choose to locate in one of six older Downtown buildings with high vacancies.

To read the full newsletter, click here!

2014 PAC*SJ Historic Photo Contest

In celebration of Preservation Month this May, the Preservation Action Council of San Jose (PAC*SJ) is hosting their 2014 Historic Photo Contest. In order to participate, all you have to do is send photos of historic structures or artifacts in San Jose to Contest2014@SJHistoricalPhoto.com. The name, category (student or adult) and a description of the photograph must accompany each photo submission. Also, photos must have been taken in 2013 or 2014 and should be in a jpg format. The deadline for submission is April 27th. The winners reception with awards and prizes will take place on June 5th at the Southern Lumber Company, 1402 Monterey Highway, San Jose.

"The mission of this contest is to promote historic preservation by raising awareness of San Jose's historic resources, to celebrate the efforts to preserve our city's history, and to recognize the irreplaceable historic resources that are threatened."

Taurinus Brazilian Steakhouse in Downtown San Jose

Taurinus has just opened up where Nazca Peruvian Restaurant and Zenon's Peruvian were previously located at 167 San Fernando. They made some great renovations to the space by opening up the walls and ceiling and creating a giant open space. The new owners also greatly enhanced the bar space.

Taurinus is now the second Brazilian steakhouse in San Jose, where a couple months ago we had none. It compares quite favorably to Fogo do Chao in Santana Row and is slightly more traditional. There has only been one other Brazilian Churrascaria Downtown in the past, and it was Maceio on 1st Street. I think Taurinus manages to top Maceio at every level.

There are 14 different meats, which you can find listed below. They even have one of my favorite delicacies, chicken hearts! My favorite meat is usually the Sirloin/Picanha, but at Taurinus the Pork Ribs blew me away. As is expected at a Brazilian steakhouse, the meats keep on coming until you feel like you are about to fall over. They also serve you a side of Yucca, fried plantains, and awesome cheese bread.

As good as the meats were, their sidebar was equally as good and is perhaps the best side-bar for any Brazilian place I have been to. I highly recommend starting with a plate of rice, topping it with some beans, adding farofa (the powdery stuff), and topping it with some spicy oil. This will go well with any of the meats served at the restaurants and could even be a standalone meal. The side bar also features an assortment of cold cuts, veggies, salads, and deviled eggs. I would be willing to come back for the side bar alone.

Save some room for dessert as well. My wife and I shared a caramel flan (Pudim) which was delicious. I also have to mention that the service was exceptional throughout the meal. Fantastic addition to Downtown San Jose--the owners should be proud and I wish them a lot of success.

Ensemble SF Concert @ Le Petit Trianon on Monday

The new chamber music group Ensemble SF is performing at the beautiful Let Petit Trianon in Downtown San Jose on Monday (March 31st) at 7pm. The group consists of musicians from the SF Symphony, Ballet, and Opera orchestras. The concert will be family-friendly, dynamic, and will even include a tango dancer for one of the pieces.

To learn more about the group, visit EnsembleSF.com. To buy tickets, just head over here and put in the code "sjblog" for a $5 discount on both general and student/senior tickets.

1908 - The Great Race

In the latest minute-long San Jose history lesson courtesy of WMS Media, learn about the 1908 Great Race and their pit-stop in Downtown San Jose! As an added bonus, here is a PDF from the Sourisseau Academy with several historical photos of San Jose.


1908 - The Great Race from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.
Learn about how the 1908 Great Race route came through San Jose and how drivers stopped at the famous Lamolle French Restaurant on San Pedro and Santa Clara Street!

Ginormous San Jose Tech Campus Approved!

A campus of ten--yes ten--seven story buildings was just approved last week and is going to break ground this year where Bay 101 now sits. The project will span 2 million SQFT and employ up to 10,000 people. Whichever company occupies it will instantly become the second largest employer in San Jose next to Cisco. The company was not announced yet, but we know it will be a tech company, it's on the Fortune 100 list, and they already have some presence in Silicon Valley. My best guess is either Microsoft or Amazon.

The total cost to build out the campus will be at least $700 million. Another interesting fact is that the entire approval process for this mammoth project took only six months. The City of San Jose really fast-tracked this one and hopefully they will continue to keep up this pace for future development.

Source: USA Today, SocketSite