Workers at Apple Inc.'s "spaceship" office in Cupertino will have three more choices for eating off-campus after a trio of restaurants signed at Prometheus' nearby apartment community in Cupertino.
Popular "better burger" spot the Counter, new pizza concept Fresh Pixx and a Jersey Mike's Subs have filled the 7,000 square feet of retail space at Prometheus' Biltmore North apartment community at the corner of Stevens Creek and S. Blaney avenues.
The retail building is part of San Mateo-based Prometheus' Biltmore North project, an 80-unit development that is now reaching completion.
"It's a Stevens Creek address, which is the dominant commercial street for Cupertino," said Randol Mackley of SRS Real Estate Partners, who represented Prometheus with partner Bruce Frazer, explaining the attraction of the spot. "You have the Cupertino demographics and a very significant daytime population."
Of the new tenants, Fresh Pixx represents a significant new arrival in the burgeoning fast-casual custom pizza sector. The restaurant is Round Table's entry in a market segment that also includes MOD Pizza, Pieology, Blast 825 Pizza and Blaze Pizza — all of which have been opening or scouting for locations in the area recently. Mackley said that the fact that Fresh Pixx is connected with a major player like Round Table "validates the concept."
At Fresh Pixx, pizzas and salads are made to order, with diners choosing toppings as they move down the order line. The pizza is thin crust with fresh toppings cooked in an 800-degree "Woodstone" oven, cooking in just a few minutes. Salads are served on a crust similar to the pizza, topped with garlic oil and Asiago cheese. The first location opened in Dublin last June. The company was represented by Katie Singer, a vice president with Cassidy Turley.
"We are excited by our location in Cupertino," Fresh Pixx said in a statement. "The design of the premises is modern and eye catching. It will certainly be noticed by the thousands of cars driving on Stevens Creek Boulevard. We like the synergy of the three tenants that will occupy this location: Fresh Pixx, the Counter and Jersey Mike's."
The Counter has a smattering of Bay Area locations, including a recent opening in Fremont, and is a popular spot at Santana Row. It's also part of the customization craze, known for its variety of toppings and promoting 300,000 "possible burger combinations" (that's a lot of burgers).
"The Counter is sure to do well in Cupertino, with the great daytime population and strong incomes in the area," said Todd Oliver, a principal with Terranomics who represented The Counter. "There is also a pretty successful company called Apple in Cupertino, and we are sure some of their employees will enjoy a high-quality burger."
Jersey Mike's promotes what it calls "a sub above," with fresh-based bread using the same recipe it has used since it was founded in 1956. Today, the chain has more than 1,300 locations open and under development. Jersey Mike's was repped by Michael Costa and Katie Singer of Terranomics.
Retail, especially food retail, has been hot in Cupertino of late, as companies seek entry into the incredibly jobs-dense city, where Apple is hiring practically by the busload. As I wrote earlier this summer, The Melt and Blast Pizza both signed deals at 2803 Stevens Creek, a 15,000-square-foot retail center being built by Borelli Investment Co.
The new "spaceship" campus — slated to hold more than 14,000 Apple workers when complete — is driving a lot of that interest, though Apple's existing workforce also gives retailers plenty of well-paid customers to go after right now.
But the biggest retail story in Cupertino is yet to play out: That's the ultimate fate of Vallco Shopping Mall, whose future is very much in flux.