"You can't get anything better than our turkey, except maybe at home," manager David Taylor says.

When the turkey is combined with bacon and avocado and stacked into a just-baked sour French roll, the result is Pebbles' signature sandwich, appropriately called the Cupertino sub. All sandwiches come with macaroni salad or cole slaw. "Everything we make is fresh," Taylor says. "The macaroni salad is fresh every day. Cole slaw--we chop it ourselves."

Pebbles is the former Alotta's Delicatessen. When a new owner took over in May, Taylor strove to provide continuity.

"I can honestly say some customers thought we changed our product, but we haven't. What we've tried to do is keep the menu the same as before."

But there are some menu items that reflect the new ownership. Pebbles' owner, Koo Kim, comes from Korea, so he's included things such as a bulgoki sandwich. Simply put, it's a Korean-style barbecue beef affair. Teriyaki chicken is also available, served as a sandwich or over rice.

Although Pebbles is rather small, it has a big menu. During the week, early risers start arriving for breakfast at 7 a.m., coming in for lattes, espresso, bagels and breakfast sandwiches. Pebbles draws most of its customers from nearby high tech companies such as Portal, Apple and NetManage.

It's a bright, cheery place, although inside seating is minimal. But there is a nice-sized patio where patrons can cool their heels until their order is delivered tableside. As an added benefit, the outdoor tables have umbrellas and there's a lovely fountain, which dresses things up.

"What we try to do is make people happy," Taylor says. "We really pride ourselves on getting quality food out quickly and at a good price." Prices really are reasonable, with Chinese chicken, Greek, cobb and chicken Caesar salads, all priced at $5.95. Most hot and cold sandwiches are under $6.

Taylor worked at the old Alotta's for five years, so he's experienced with the ins and outs of the business. He's right at home in the mix of things, busily whipping up orders. Still, he says it has been kind of a long summer since the new ownership also coincided with a complete turnover of staff.

Now that all the new employees have been trained, Taylor is looking forward to fall, when he expects business will pick up.

"Usually our catering business gets really big at the end of summer and towards the holidays," he says.

The catering menu has a few things that aren't on the regular menu. It includes cocktail-size meatballs, eight-layer taco dip as well as fresh fruit and cookie trays.

Pebbles Deli-Cafe,10235 South De Anza Boulevard in Cupertino, 408-725-0299. Hours are Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.