Bob’s Courthouse Coffee Shop to Close

For nearly six decades, the familiar has been serving good old-fashioned breakfast and lunch to Redwood City families… And to the likes of Jim Plunkett, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Barry Bonds, Superior Court judges, fire chiefs, police chiefs, and the defense for Scott Peterson back in 2004.

Without the use of any catchy gimmicks or fancy décor, owner Bob Bryant said his recipe for success has been “good food and good service at reasonable prices.”

And on Sunday, March 20, a Redwood City fixture will be closing for good.

“It’s sooner than we’d like, but we have no control over it,” said Bryant, who purchased the restaurant 21 years ago with his wife, Irene. “What can I do? Punch him in the nose and tell him we’re not leaving?”

Their lease expires June 30, but the owner decided to buy out the Bryants three months early. Bryant said the owner plans to build an upscale restaurant in its place.

“We completely respect his decision,” Bryant said. “He’s a great guy and a fantastic landlord. He’s just taking this place in another direction.”

Though the Bryants have graciously accepted the buy-out, the coffeeshop's closure has dismayed many loyal customers.

“We’ve had four people coming in here crying telling us that they can’t believe we’re closing,” Irene Bryant said. “I definitely didn’t expect that.”

The goodbyes seemed a little more resolute this morning, with customers wishing Bob and Irene “good luck” and thanking them for decades of service to the community.

“If you had to meet someplace, everyone knows where it is,” said Doris Peacock of the Redwood City Woman’s Club. “And they’ve always given back to the community.”

At the annual Lions’ Club Pancake breakfast, Bob’s Courthouse provided the pancakes and sausage at no cost. Whenever there was leftover soup, he would donate it to the for homeless teens.

Plaques of little league teams thanking Bob’s Courthouse Coffee Shop for their support line the walls next to the clown and Elvis photos. The place exudes the comfort and warmth that only an established coffeehouse provides.

“It’s so safe and secure and just a homey place to gather,” said former mayor Paul Sanfilipo. 

Waiter Filiberto Robles has worked at the coffeeshop for the past nine years and said he was still in disbelief.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do!” he said. “I’ve built so many relationships with customers and they say this place feels like home. They say there’s no other good place to go for breakfast in Redwood City and they’re right.”

Sheriff Greg Munks added, "It's going to be a sad day for downtown Redwood City. Bob's a great guy and the coffeeshop is a fixture for a lot of us in the sheriff's office."

But Bob and Irene have a few plans that they’re entertaining. Bob said he’s been approached with two offers to manage restaurants, but will likely not accept.

“We’re going to travel,” the 82-year-old said. “Maybe Belize, Hawaii, France, Italy, who knows? And we’ll get around to the house projects that we’ve never really had time to do.”

A long, rich history

Bob and Irene Bryant were mechanical engineers working for United Airlines over 20 years ago. But as Bob became a regular frequenter of the Courthouse Coffee Shop, his wife said to him, “you’re always on this side of the counter, why don’t you get on the other side?”

In 1989, the couple then became the fourth owners of the Courthouse Coffee Shop. Asked what pushed him to own a restaurant he replied, “stupidity. And that it gave us something to do.”

Even as a “retirement job,” the duo works seven days a week, with Bob behind the register and Irene serving up breakfast to loyal customers as well as new faces.

From the beginning, Bob built the restaurant “from scratch.” He baked the pies himself, and he even went around flyering the courthouse to let people know about the restaurant.

“The secret to a successful restaurant is PR,” Bob said. “I listen to the customers and give them exactly what they want. And I’ve worked long enough and traveled enough to be able to talk to them about almost anything.”

Then in 1998, the owner of the original location on Hamilton and Broadway decided to end the Courthouse Coffee Shop lease and move in Le Boulanger, the current restaurant there. But Bob said he had no preference, saying that the former Snyder’s department store space had opened up and he was able to apply for the lease on Middlefield and Broadway. The addition of “Bob’s” was tacked onto the name of the coffeeshop as it stands today.

"Irene and I designed the lay-out of the restaurant," Bob said. "That's why it's so good."

The restaurant has been the hub for its fair share of controversy. National news outlets hounded Bob for information that Scott Peterson’s defense attorney, Mark Geragos, had casually discussed in confidence.

“I was on TV five times that week,” Bob said. “It got so bad my wife had to say ‘sit down and wait your turn!’ while I went and hid in the jewelry store across the street.”

Aside from this rare incident, Bob had always been a recognized and involved face in the community. He served on the Redwood City School District Board, was the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Salvation Army and served on the committees that decided to build the downtown Century 20 Theatres and the Courthouse Square. He also served as the Downtown Business Group president around 2005 to 2006.

“He always had a voice in certain issues,” said community member Barbara Britschgi. “Sometimes the city didn’t like it, but he always was championing the power of the merchant.”

And Bob said he will still remain active in the community, but to a lesser extent in a more background role.

“I marshal the golf course once a week and I’m still an honorary member of the Lions Club,” he said.

Own a little piece of Redwood City history

If Redwood City residents just can’t stand to see the restaurant go, the Bryants are selling everything in the restaurant until March 28. People can purchase everything from door signs to paintings to sets of silverware.

In a few months, Bob’s Courthouse Coffee Shop will become a vacant shell, waiting for a new restaurant tenant to fill an iconic void. But the memories and the stories shared over a cup of coffee will remain etched in Redwood City’s history for the next several decades.