Breakfast at Buck's: Tales from the Pancake Guy
Our devoted readers (all both of you) will remember that we profiled Buck’s of Woodside during our week of articles about where the tech elite eat. Since then, we got a chance to keep talking with the owner of Buck’s, Jamis MacNiven, who’s had a ringside seat to the past 20 years of tech gambles and innovation. Here’s what happened:
On Buck’s rise to fame
The restaurant, a now-renowned VC hotspot for breakfast, brunch, and lunch, opened in 1991, and the attention started not long afterwards. In 1992, Bob Metcalfe (who was the CEO of and a columnist for InfoWorld Magazine) mentioned Buck’s in his popular tech column. In 1994, Jamis says, one TV crew showed up to interview him. By 1995, he estimates that 100 TV crews came to visit.
On stupid pitches and ideas
Some of the many entrepreneurs that filter through Jamis’ restaurant even try to pitch him, the self-proclaimed “pancake guy,” which he discourages. “You’re probably pitching the wrong person. But I listen to a lot of restaurant pitches.” (more…)