Business & Tech

PHOTOS: Bumble's Buzz a Hit With Los Altos Chamber

The Los Altos version of the 'play cafe' concept finds a receptive crowd during the Chamber of Commerce's September mixer.

Bzzzzzzz. Every room was abuzz during Wednesday's Chamber of Commerce mixer that at Bumble, the new "play cafe" at 145 First Street.

In part, because of one guest who was there, briefly.

"Did you see Sergey Brin?" Chamber president Sam Pesner asked. The Los Altos Hills resident and Google founder made an early and fleeting appearance. So fleeting that even Pesner, who saw him on the patio missed him after circling back from showing the cafe's playroom to another guest.

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Chamber members arriving afterwards did a good job in filling the room with a loud and constant hum of activity.

That's the idea, said Mary Heffernan, owner of the Bumble, when asked about the cafe's name: To evoke a hive of activity (and not to be confused with a well-known hair product found in Los Altos' high-end salons).

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She wants to create community, create a buzz, and attract young families downtown with a place that serves good food and provides a supervised playroom for kids to be kids.

The mostly organic, mostly locally sourced cafe for foodie families rolled out the black-and-yellow carpet, figuratively speaking, to the chamber members by hosting the mixer. There was even a child who came to check out the playroom with its massive aquarium wall and viewing bubbles.

Heffernan found the former Cottage Green and began renovating it last year. The cafe has been open for 20 days and seems to be well-received, she said. Patrons have been forgiving of any early-day gaffes that visit many restaurants, she added.

Apparently so.

Immediately following the reception, mothers began arriving for an private event that had been booked.


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