By Khalida Sarwari
Bell Tower Bistro recently dropped the “patisserie” from its name in a move that appears reflective of a shift away from a European-style cafe to one that appeals more to the American palette. Spearheading this shift is Danny Shafazand, the young new owner of the quaint dining spot on Saratoga-Los Gatos Road.
Shafazand took over the family business in early September, and a little more than two months later the changes he’s made to the restaurant extend beyond just the name change. The European-style cafe was his mother’s idea, but Shafazand says he wants to tailor the restaurant to the city’s demographic and return to the kind of restaurant the Bell Tower used to be before it fell into the hands of management teams that raised prices and damaged the restaurant’s relationship with the community.
The vision he’s had in mind from the start was of an affordable neighborhood cafe that appeals to families and dog owners and doubles as a hangout spot for teenagers and young adults, very much like the now-closed Little Amsterdam.
“I feel like growing up in Saratoga, there were a lot of places like that before,” said Shafazand, who attended grade school in Saratoga and is studying business as a sophomore at Santa Clara University. “We would all meet up and hang out, and I don’t know if it’s the city or people are not business friendly, [but] I just don’t see that community anymore as far as people meeting up.”
Added Shafazand, “In the long run I want it to be a place where people can come even if you just want to get a cup of coffee and just hang out.”
Shafazand has lowered prices, changed the decor to a brighter and more homey design, added a patio in front, installed heaters, dropped unpopular items from the menu, introduced a new dessert menu that features popular treats such as pizookies and ice cream sandwiches, and added a juice bar that he anticipates will be ready by mid-December. In an attempt to liven up the place, Shafazand set up TVs to show sports events and decorates the place for the holidays.
“For Christmas, we will go all out,” he promised.
Shafazand has reinstated discounts the restaurant used to give to certain segments of Saratoga’s population. Students and teachers receive 15 percent off their entire order, and people who work in the Village are offered a 10 percent discount. He is also working with Saratoga High School to create a custom menu just for those students in an effort to give them additional options for lunch.
On the technology and social media front, Shafazand said he revamped the restaurant’s website and Facebook page and joined the popular food delivery service, DoorDash. The restaurant also offers “super fast” complimentary WiFi, a feature he hopes will appeal to people who work out of coffee shops. To sweeten the deal, the restaurant offers free, unlimited coffee or tea with a purchase of a breakfast item between 7 to 10 a.m. on weekdays.
Those changes aside, Shafazand has kept his staff the same size, but hired a chef and buser after he came on board. The food also remains mostly organic and the produce locally grown.
Though he admitted he’s still learning the business, Shafazand said it’s been a fulfilling experience for him thus far. More than anything, he said it’s important to him that patrons feel welcomed and as if they’re dropping by a place where they’ll be greeted by their first name.
“Just a blue collar kind of place,” he said.
Link: Danny Shafazand takes over family business, makes changes at Bell Tower Bistro
