Carol Wang, the CEO and face of the entrepreneurial team behind Gardenia Los Gatos—a new café, bar and restaurant that will soon debut at the site that most recently was the Palms—long dreamed of having her own coffee house.
“I love coffee house culture and the sense of community that coffee houses create,” she says.
Coming up with a name proved more difficult than anticipated, and after much disappointment, she finally asked herself what she really loved.
“I have wanted a garden since I was a little girl,” she says. “My mother loved flowers, and her favorites were gardenias. I love their color and their fragrance. To me, they represent elegance and purity.”
You will see gardenias prominently employed as part of the interior décor of the restaurant, which has been so very many things in its past life. But never a coffee house—never a place that welcomed gathering over beverages brewed from some of the finest single origin beans on the planet, served by award-winning baristas.
We sit at a handsome live-edge wooden table upstairs in the repainted second story of the old Victorian on Santa Cruz Avenue. Natural light streams in, illuminating the organic-feeling of the wall décor. A series of sleek shelves display some of Wang’s personal coffee cup collection, alongside custom-crafted ones and mugs from a porcelain factory in China that’s been in business for centuries. Each is a work of art.
For someone who didn’t start drinking coffee until five years ago, she’s developed a remarkable grasp of gourmet coffee and the culture that thrives around it. One of the house specialties will be Panama Gesha beans from a family plantation in Panama, called Lamastus Estates. Wang treasured meeting the owners in person. “They had a beautiful garden,” she says. “And I realized that the tiny white coffee flower is very similar to the gardenia. It even has a similar aroma.” At that moment, she couldn’t help but think, “Wow, I got it right!”
Wang grew up in China, attending Xi’an Jiaotong University’s medical school, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in clinical medicine, graduating in 1993. She began her career in internal medicine, but decided to put it on hold to raise her two children, now grown and pursuing their own life missions. “It was a hard decision,” she admits. “But it is one I don’t regret.” Her son works for a venture capital firm and her daughter, who loves the outdoors and pursues an active lifestyle, is helping her mom with social media for the new venture.
When Wang came to California, she lived in Danville, where she started a Chinese school. She taught students Mandarin and Chinese philosophy. She also began working in real estate, for California Pacific Brokers. She attributes her introduction to coffee to Nespresso and says that Peet’s Coffee in Danville was one of her first coffee experiences. “At first, it was an espresso every once in a while. And then, it became once a week—and eventually, every day.” she says. Wang currently lives in Mountain View.
Los Gatos has always been on her radar, as it’s a town she loves for its beauty and charm. She’d frequently stop in on her way to Carmel and Monterey. Thinking it might be a good location for her dream business, she started looking for a space. And suddenly, there it was. The Palms, a place she’d much enjoyed in the past, admiring it for its Victorian architecture, had been sitting vacant. It had plenty of outdoor space, which she felt was critical for a coffee house. “I really am so lucky,” she says, with a warm, appreciative smile. “Working with the landlord was so great. And everything went smoothly, like it was meant to be.”
Wang worked to preserve the character of the building, seeking only to make minor adjustments, like brightening it up a bit. The furnishings, decor and lighting are exquisite, befitting the ambiance of a fine dining restaurant, far beyond what you’d see in a typical café.
But, make no mistake, this is Third Wave Coffee personified—from the baristas she’s hired, to the coffee beans they are using. And then, there’s the brunch menu that Executive Chef David Intonato, formerly of Pine Creek Cookhouse in Aspen, has developed and will begin serving this weekend during the soft opening. Wang describes the cuisine as French-Asian fusion.
While she may not have intended to branch into fine dining, this place is absolutely meant for it. Wang and her business partners have taken their time to ensure every detail is in place before the doors open. “It’s been a big learning curve,” she admits. But she’s clearly thrilled to be sharing her dream with the community.
Gardenia Los Gatos will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 2. Coffee will be served Monday-Sunday, 7:30am-3:30pm. Brunch will be served Tuesday-Sunday, 10:30am-2:30pm. Happy hour begins August 6, and will run Tuesday-Sunday, 3:30pm-7pm. Dinner service is scheduled to start this fall.
