San Pedro Square Market Set to Open September 10

The San Pedro Square Market, which has the potential to change the landscape of downtown San Jose, finally has a target date to open: September 10, 2011. The tenants lined up so far include On a Roll (Vietnamese sandwiches and spring rolls), Joe’s Smoke House & BBQ, Pizza Bocca Lupo (featuring the South Bay’s only hand-made brick oven imported from Naples, Italy), The El Dorado Bar, The Wine Bar, a permanent Treatbot ice cream truck, The Usuals custom clothing, Glo designer jewelry, Veggie Box (farm fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers), Crewners barber shop, and La Fina Cocina (kitchenware). ‘There won’t be any Starbucks, Jamba Juice or Chevy’s,’ manager Steve Borkenhagen said. ‘This is more local people opening up their dream store.’ According to the San Pedro Square Market website they are about 75% leased, so I’m sure we can look forward to more unique and exciting purveyors. The market, on St. John Street between San Pedro and Almaden in downtown San Jose, will make use of the old El Dorado bakery building as well as two new structures. One of them purposely resembles the type of shed you’d find in an orchard as a nod to the valley’s agricultural past. The centerpiece, though, is the 20,000-square-foot courtyard outside the Peralta Adobe, the oldest structure in San Jose, which is at the middle of the project. There will be outdoor entertainment in the plaza nearly every day of the year, ranging from kid-friendly storytelling to buskers, amateur musicians who play tunes for tips. Add in the Friday morning Downtown San Jose Farmers Market and the Saturday evening Moveable Feast gourmet food truck event and the San Pedro Square area becomes a mecca for foodies, tourists and locals looking for an eclectic place to enjoy an afternoon or evening of dining, drinking, and entertainment in downtown San Jose. To keep tabs on the market’s progress, visit www.sanpedrosquaremarket.com. ***NOTE*** The September 10 date is not the official opening but just a sneak preview and opportunity to check out all the new tenants and amenities the San Pedro Square Market will have to offer. Read the explanation at The San Jose Bog site.