Tucked into a wood-shingled cottage on a leafy residential street in Los Altos, the Sweet Shop is part community cafe, part candy store, and it exists largely because its owner is one of Google's earliest employees, SFGate reported.
The owner
Stacy Savides, a longtime HR executive at Google and the company's employee No. 50, grew up in Los Altos and opened the shop in summer 2009 in a cottage that dates to the 1940s. "I feel like it's my contribution to Los Altos," she told SFGate. "And I think I'm very fortunate to be in that position." She said whether the business made money was not a priority and confirmed she still works at Google.
According to the shop's own history, the building at 994 Los Altos Ave. started in the 1940s as the Santa Rita Food Shop and later sat empty on the market for about four years before Savides and her family revamped it. The shop says its proceeds go to local public schools.
Inside
- The menu: More than 50 glass jars of candy, frozen yogurt, Verve coffee, baked goods and sandwiches. Candy and froyo each account for about 30% of sales, manager Sandra Colunga said.
- The regulars: Harry Logan, 94, has come since shortly after it opened; the register even has a "Harry's Special" button for his order.
- The setting: Just under 1,000 square feet, with four indoor tables and a courtyard with a frog-themed water feature. "We're walking distance to five schools," Colunga said.
Savides also bought Red Berry Coffee Bar in downtown Los Altos in 2020 and sold it around the start of this year, SFGate reported.