The Brief
- An iconic downtown San Jose staple, Original Joe’s is celebrating its 70th anniversary this week.
- The restaurant has evolved into a multi-generational family legacy, currently owned and operated by the founder’s grandsons, Brad and Matt Rocca, alongside Brad’s wife, Michelle.
- Despite a recent local newspaper report suggesting the business was up for sale, Michelle Rocca stated unequivocally that the restaurant is not closing.
SAN JOSE, Calif. – An iconic downtown San Jose restaurant is celebrating its 70th anniversary this week.
Original Joe’s, a staple of downtown San Jose since 1956, reached their milestone while continuing to serve generations of families—some of whom chose the restaurant to celebrate their own historic milestones.
Celebrating milestones
Among the patrons celebrating this week were San Jose residents Nancy and Peter Dusza, who marked the 60th anniversary of their first date, before Peter’s senior prom.
“Here it is. This was my original corsage 60 years ago,” Nancy Dusza said, displaying a preserved piece of the flower arrangement she has kept in her diary since that night. Reading from her diary entry about Peter from 1964, she joked, “He is 18 years old, 5-foot-7, black hair, blue eyes. Notice he doesn’t have black hair anymore.”…