Malone's Grille is sold

Patti Malone has sold her landmark Scotts Valley Drive restaurant to two brother with deep roots in Scotts Valley and even deeper roots in the food service industry.
The decision to sell, after 36 years, “has been entirely of my own making,” Malone said in an open letter to her customers published in today’s Press Banner “Simply, I am tired.”
New owners of the restaurant are Taylor and Ryan Fontana, ages 30 and 27 respectively, Scotts Valley High School alumni who are the third generation of their family in food services.
Their father, Richard Fontana, is the former owner of the Parisian Baker in San Francisco and Ledyard Company food distributors in San Francisco.
“They live here, went to school here and have a heart for their city,” Malone said of the new owners.
The Fontana brothers said they intend to run the business under the current name. All employees will be retained and there will be no interruption of service, said Ryan Fontana.
Taylor Fontana will be the active general manager. The San Jose State University graduate has been working in the restaurant business for 14 years, most recently as general manager of the Red Restaurant and Bar and the Redroom Cocktail Lounge in downtown Santa Cruz.
Ryan Fontana is a Santa Clara University graduate with a degree in management, who has been working in real estate.
Malone said the restaurant had not been for sale, but the Fontanas approached her. The two brothers each own 50 percent of the business; the liquor license application is from Fontana Hospitality LLC, created in August by the young men and their father, whom they said in a statement “has a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge to bring to the business.”
The Fontanas grew up and still live in Rolling Woods, an unincorporated part of Scotts Valley near the Brook Knoll School. Both of them played, then later coached baseball at Scotts Valley High School.
“We are extremely excited for this opportunity,” said Taylor Fontana.
“Patti Malone has built a fine establishment here in Scotts Valley and we plan on continuing her legacy,” he said. “With our passion and energy we are confident we can bring Malone’s to the next level.”
He said the brothers will focus on service and quality,”then spend time identifying what the community truly wants from a restaurant.”
“We want to hear what the people of Scotts Valley desire, and hope to meet and exceed their expectations in the immediate future,” he said.
They said the transition to the new owners will take place over the next few weeks, and expect it to be smooth, as they have known Patti Malone for years.
“my priority was to leave my employees, my customers and Scotts Valley in good hands,” said Malone. “You all will be in good hands.”
A portion of the Malone’s Grille building is one of the oldest commercial structures in Scotts Valley, and her business is one of the oldest continuously owned businesses in the city.
Malone noted that the bar and restaurant first served “loggers and truckers,” and recalled neighbors riding their horses up to the restaurant steps.
The restaurant has ridden the crests and valleys of Scotts Valley’s history of the last four decades, riding especially high when Seagate, Borland and other technology companies were headquartered here.
Because of its proximity to Seagate, business was often conducted over lunch and after hours at what some in the company considered to be their own private oasis.
Sandwiches were named after high-tech executives, and Seagate even installed phone lines at Malone’s (before cell phones) so its executives could connect to offices in Singapore during evening meals. At one point, Malone’s even opened cafeterias on the Seagate campus.
Patti Malone’s commitment to the community that she has fed over the years is profound.
“Please let everyone know that I will be here for awhile and would love to thank them personally,” she said this week.
She said will host one more fundraiser before she leaves, tentatively set for Saturday, Oct.22. “We will have pie throwing contest with local celebrities (and me) where all monies for the purchase of pies to throw will be donated to Valley Churches United Missions,” said Malone. 
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