New owner of Acorn restaurant is named New owner of Acorn restaurant is named (January 19, 2005)

The menu is the same. Management and staff are the same.

"Only instead of Maria, it's me," said David Mack of Redwood City, the new owner of the Acorn restaurant at 1906 El Camino Real in Menlo Park.

Mr. Mack took over this month from Maria Petrakis, who opened the restaurant more than 30 years ago with her late husband, Sam. Her son, Nick, will continue as manager.

The restaurant is now open Monday through Saturday.

"In the month of February, as soon as we beef up our staff, we will be open daily for all meals -- breakfast, lunch and dinner," said Mr. Mack.

In the spring he plans to start a Sunday champagne brunch.

"I am also looking into having wireless Internet capabilities for business people who want to come and conduct business with their laptops over breakfast or lunch," he said.

Mr. Mack grew up in Berkeley and has a degree in business management from JFK University in Walnut Creek.

He has been associated with the restaurant business since his first job with the Hyatt Regency in downtown Oakland in 1985.

"I've done jobs at every level, from dishwasher to director of food and beverage," he says.

For the past two years Mr. Mack was director of operations for food and beverage at the Hilton Garden Inn in San Leandro. From 2000 to 2002 he was assistant director of food and beverage for the Sheraton Hotel in Concord, and he has been employed as food and beverage manager at the Claremont Resort and Spa in Oakland.

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