As Upi Rekhi tells it, when he tried to place an ad for Coach House Deli in the Saratoga High School Falcon, he was told that no one would recognize the name. "'No, it's Liquor and Cheese,' they told me." So that's the way the ad ran. Because lots of customers also say that's the only name they know, the Rekhis have decided to retrieve the old sign "with the little Mickey Mouse on it" and put it back up.

There have been other changes, however, that have been readily embraced--like the outdoor tables and chairs that were inspired by the brothers' recent trip to Italy, where outdoor cafe seating abounds. The tables are becoming the favorite spot for consuming the $5.99 lunch special of turkey and avocado on Dutch crunch bread, chips and soda.

"We are a very busy deli," notes Upi, who admits that the opening of a competing deli down the road hurt their business at first. "But after our customers tried them out for a while, they came back to us." And business has increased. They come in droves, starting at 11:30 a.m., when the nearby Saratoga High School lunch hour begins. Then at 12:30, the students from neighboring Monta Vista and Prospect high schools trail in. "The girls like avocado in their sandwiches, and the boys like bacon," Paul says.

Those ingredients can be added, along with cheese and a choice of condiments, to any one of 28 meats, chicken, turkey or bologna, priced generally at $4.75. Salads made with morning-fresh produce and chicken or tuna in summer yield to hot soups like clam chowder on Fridays in the cooler weather. "We keep kids healthy," Paul says proudly. "We offer a good, clean, fresh sandwich, made to order fast, and good value." He says lots of parents have told him they came to the store as kids. "Now they are here with their own."

As far as the liquor trade is concerned, it's a separate store. "While we do have a license to serve, we discourage drinking on the premises," Upi says. But starting in September, they will be holding wine tasting every Saturday afternoon in the large round room at the center of the store. The brothers, who previously owned three wine stores on the Peninsula, will be featuring a different winery each week. "We can proudly say we have the best tequila and single malt selection in the whole valley, and we're still improving," Paul boasts.

Upi, 51 and a Monte Sereno resident, immigrated to the United States from northern India 25 years ago. Within a few years, Upi branched into the wine business, and Paul and his wife immigrated to join him in the store. The helping continues into the next generation. Recently, the brothers planned to install a computerized store system for scanning and inventory. Their wives, Kul and Harminder, and their respective seven children showed up to spend 10 days getting the system online.

Coach House Deli is located at 1655 S. De Anza Blvd. (at Prospect Road) in Cupertino. The deli is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Call in orders to 408.252.7141 or fax them to 408.252.8854.