By Clyde Noel

St. Stephen’s Green-type pub to replace former Bar & Grill

Downtown Los Altos is scheduled to get a splash of green this Labor Day weekend when the Los Altos Bar and Grill reopens as an Irish pub.

Those who have visited St. Stephen’s Green in Mountain View can expect to find the same type of Irish bar, Irish paraphernalia and Irish dining environment at the old Los Altos Bar and Grill location.

The previous Bar and Grill owner, Loren Masters, declared Chapter 13 bankruptcy in May. The court conducted a hearing July 10 to sell the business.

The top bidder was Bradley Blackman, owner of Custom Homes of Los Altos, for the sum of $390,000. The landlord did not agree to Blackman’s terms and conditions, including his request for a long-term lease.

Matt Hynes, owner of St. Stephen’s Green, was the successful bidder at $360,000. The landlord agreed to the terms and conditions of the property lease requested by Hynes.

“We expect to make some cosmetic changes and adjust to an Irish pub background,” Hynes said. “We understand that type of business, have been successful at it and see no reason why we can’t be successful in Los Altos. Our cuisine will be at the upper end of dining experiences.”

Hynes said he will bring many of his Mountain View employees to the Los Altos location, including the present Mountain View general manager, Soren Madsen. Wait staff and bartenders will also transfer to the new location.

“We will have live music Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, with local entertainment,” Hynes said. “This will be a hands-on operation, and we know what it takes to be successful.”

The location has housed numerous restaurants since it was opened during the 1960s. The original owners, Robert B. and Deborah Clark, filed voluntary bankruptcy under Chapter 11 in May 1995.

In May 1998 the case was converted to a plan under Chapter 7. After all secured claims were settled, the court sold the restaurant assets to the top bidder, Richard Kim. Wendy and Richard Kim obtained the restaurant in August 1998 from the United States Bankruptcy Court through its trustee.

In November 2000, Masters and Steven Holloway purchased the restaurant from the Kims. Seventeen months later, Masters declared Chapter 13 bankruptcy. She admitted she had no previous restaurant experience, having worked in corporate America as a business analyst.

The location of the future St. Stephen’s Green in Los Altos is 169 Main St. The Mountain View location is 223 Castro St.