The Courtyard Restaurant at the Courtyard by Marriott on Hopyard Road, is one of Pleasanton's newest eateries, conveniently situated in Hacienda Business Park. Catering to early risers and fastpaced work days, according to restaurant supervisor Tina Parks, the restaurant is popular with many Pleasanton business people.

A graduate of Northern Arizona University with a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management, Parks was previously Food Service Director at Chabot College in Hayward and with a food service contracting firm. She finds the restaurant business, and particularly the Courtyard restaurant, a challenging and rewarding entry into hotel management.

"The Courtyard is popular with business people for a variety of reasons" Parks explained, "and that's where the challenge is. Because they have demanding schedules, we have to serve good food quickly. We've been very successful at it as evidenced by our high percentage of repeat customers."

50 people comfortably, also utilizes the lower lounge area that looks out to the courtyard and pool, when business meetings or small conferences schedule lunch or breakfast in the restaurant. "We get a large portion of this business because it's convenient to have personnel eat here during and after meetings, and again our reputation for fine food and efficient service is attractive."

The Courtyard eatery, which offers breakfast and lunch buffet-style menus, is open weekdays from 6:30 a.m. until IO p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. A scrumptuous "early bird" breakfast buffet is complete with eggs, bacon and sausage, or for those still not quite awake at 6:30, a continental breakfast of tasty danish, assorted cereals and rich coffee is an excellent start for the work day.

The lunch bunch from Hacienda Business Park and surrounding businesses will find the restaurant also set up in a buffet style for the noon hour. Busy professionals can feast on a choice of soups and salads from an impressive salad bar and a variety of gourmet deli sandwiches. Dinner at the Courtyard Restaurant is a less hurried dining experience, and is just as inviting as the breakfast and lunch buffets. Entrees include terriaki chicken, a selection of broiled steaks and a variety of popular fish dishes. Each dinner includes soup and salad from the wellstocked salad bar.

A favorite lunchtime order among Pleasanton business people and visiting personnel, according to the energetic Parks, is the grilled breast of chicken sandwich topped with mozarrella cheese and crisp bacon. One of the most requested dinner entrees is the restaurant's special Honey Chicken, which is stir-fried chicken dipped in a honey terriaki sauce and served on a bed of rice.

Since opening in September, the Courtyard Restaurant has enjoyed excellent patronage from the Pleasanton community. "The reason for our popularity, again, is our speedy service and wide variety of fine food." claimed Parks. The restaurant which does virtually no advertising, attracts its breakfast and lunch crowds almost solely by word-of-mouth referrals. "We're known for our fast breakfasts and lunches but we're not a 'fast-food' restaurant,"  she emphasized, "and, we're reasonably priced."

The new restaurant supervisor loves working at the Courtyard by Marriott because of the people involvement. She noted that she is impressed with the hotel and restaurant's management and the overall facility. Parks, who admits having tried most of the food selections so she can recommend dishes to customers, concluded with an advertising slogan coined by others but which definitely applies to the Courtyard restaurant too, "Try us - you'll like us!"

To see a reproduction of the original article and edition of Pleasanton Pathways, visit: February 9, 1987 Pathways.