San Pedro Market Loses Manager

Just when the San Pedro Market in San Jose looks poised to take off and become a credible attraction downtown, the market’s manager has called it quits. Steve Borkenhagen left his role as the head of the wine bar/barber shop/restaurant complex last week to go back and run his family’s restaurant, Eulipia, on South First Street. Borkenhagen says the split wasn’t caused by any bad blood between him and the owners: former San Jose Mayor Tom McEnery, nephew John McEnery and Martin Menne. Borkenhagen insists he left because he completed his duties, which consisted of leasing out open spaces for vendors. After holding the reins for nearly two and a half years, Borkenhagen says his former assistant, Nate LeBlanc, will likely assume the new role as chief of the market.

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8 Comments

    • You make no sense… not to mention you can’t spell.  How is leaving as a manager related to distancing themselves from the city?  Hopefully, you’ve already left.  Grind your axe somewhere else.

      • When was the last time you visited this over priced resturant Eilipia? 

        No way I would go to SJ after dark. (ie Oakland)  Night life in this city is bars and fights.

        SJ does not invite anyone to come to down town bring a family after dark.

    • Right now it is dominated by empty space.  Almost half of one building is empty, and the second building is completely vacant. 

      But Pizza Buca Lupo makes great pizza!  Too bad they don’t have any decent wine.

  1. Dear Tom,

    My karaoke jukeboxes can bring a large crowd to that place, and not take up much space.

    Currently it grosses the 7 Bamboo $42,000 a year (running 5 days/5 hours a day).  I get a small cut of that.  You’ll be guaranteed a constant stream of singers of all ages if you ran it all day long. 

    There’s other costs.  Ascap/BMI/SESAC is a must, and all content must be legitimately purchased and payed for.  New song updates happen daily, since the jukebox interfaces with a online karaoke provider.

    If you’re interested, you have my contact information.  This isn’t someone else’s stuff, this is software my friends and I have worked on for the last 6 years.  Home grown by myself Mr. McEnery, the only one of its kind, and very polished.

    BTW, did you know my grandfather Jerome?

    Yours Truly,
    Robert Cortese

  2. Steve is a good man and one of the best brand advocates for downtown San Jose. His work with the market helped elevate San Pedro Square as a reinvented, vibrant district; and I wish him well as he takes renewed leadership of Eulipia. I’m sure the iconic downtown restaurant has great things to come in the emerging SoFA district.

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