Santana Row in San Jose lands new merchants, including Blue Bottle Coffee

SAN JOSE — Santana Row has signed leases with a host of new merchants amid an ongoing evolution of the iconic mixed-use center in San Jose.

Blue Bottle Coffee, Meso Modern Mediterranean, and Casper recently opened for business at Santana Row, while Hot 8 Yoga and Momosan Ramen & Sake have just signed new leases at the destination complex of shops, restaurants, homes, hotel facilities, and offices.

“We have the next evolution of Santana Row taking place,” said Collette Navarrette, director of marketing at the center. “We are very excited about these new merchants.”

Adding to the evolution, Splunk, an up-and-coming tech company, will dramatically expand its presence when it moves into the 700 Santana Row office building early in 2020.

Plus, construction is underway on the first Santana West office building that will be the vanguard of a huge new tech campus across the street on Winchester Boulevard.

Yet the arrival of new merchants also means the departure of a familiar mainstay at Santana Row, whose principal owner is Federal Realty Investment Trust, a major U.S. developer.

Urban Outfitters, a trendy clothing retailer, has agreed to exit its two-level store at 355 Santana Row. That move by Urban Outfitters frees up a prominent space on a choice corner of Santana Row.

Hot 8 Yoga has leased the entire ground floor, taking 4,600 square feet. Hot 8 Yoga, whose motto is “Fuel Your Fire,” will offer a unique style of yoga classes that occur in a heated and humid room.

Hot 8 is slated to open in the fall of 2020 and joins two other popular fitness centers at Santana Row, Barry’s Bootcamp and SoulCycle.

These health clubs are part of Santana Row’s quest to shift its retail and restaurant offerings to unique experiences and to depend less on traditional brick-and-mortar stores.

The 7,000-square-foot upstairs floor of the Urban Outfitters store will be converted to an office space with an outdoor patio.

“The office tenant could be a startup tech company, or it could be expansion space for a company,” Navarette said.

Momosan Ramen & Sake, a concept developed by Japanese master chef Masaharu Morimoto, an early Iron Chef, will open at Santana Row next year.

“I am looking forward to opening Momosan in San Jose’s vibrant Santana Row district,” Morimoto said. “Momosan is all about enjoying ramen, yakitori, beer and sake in a fun, casual environment.”

Momosan Ramen will offer unique noodles, grilled dishes, and Japanese bar snacks.

“This will be the fourth Momosan location and Santana Row will be the first California location,” Navarette said.

Blue Bottle Coffee, located near the center of Santana Row, has quickly gained a high profile, according to Navarette.

“When Blue Bottle first opened in November, there was a line wrapped around the park where the coffee shop is located,” Navarette said. “It has a cult following.”

Many Blue Bottle devotees frequently post Instagram stories of their experiences at the coffee shop. Blue Bottle’s online enthusiasts can also help widen the internet profile of Santana Row, now that the new coffee house has opened.

Meso Mediterranean has opened on the ground floor of the Splunk-leased 700 Santana office building, which is a short distance from 500 Santana Row, a building that Splunk already rents. The new restaurant is a “huge hit” in its early days of operation, according to Federal Realty.

Casper, a mattress-in-a-box retailer, is using its online presence to complement its physical store, which features distinctive elements such as mock bedrooms.

“Overall retail sales will increase for Casper because it will combine unique in-store experiences with the accessibility of ordering online,” Navarette said.

On the west side of Winchester Boulevard, a 360,000-square-foot modern office building is under construction.

That future office building exemplifies the reimagining of Santana Row. The center’s expanded role is a magnet for tech companies that seek to create employment hubs near where their employees live and next to amenities.

“Santana Row has become an urbanized neighborhood,” Navarette said.

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