Saratoga News

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Bella Saratoga changes ownership as the Coopers take off for Idaho

By Shannon Burkey

After 12 years of serving authentic Italian cuisine in the heart of Saratoga's Village, Bill and Ellen Cooper will hand over the reins of their popular restaurant to San Jose restaurateurs Clyde Zaya and Claudio Nocosia. The Coopers plan to head to Boise, Idaho, to begin a new adventure in the restaurant business with their son.

"It's a bittersweet thing leaving friends behind, but it's a great opportunity for growth and an opportunity for us to get into a business on the ground floor," Ellen Cooper said.

The Coopers, who have friends in Idaho, have plans to open a restaurant with bocce ball courts.

"We've had a nice tenure here and a nice stay, but it's just time. We've been here for 12 years and we're starting to think about where we want to retire," Bill Cooper said.

The Coopers took over the restaurant formerly known as Bella Mia in 1995. Since then, the restaurant, housed in an old Victorian on Big Basin Way, has proved quite popular with both residents and visitors to the downtown area.

In addition to running the restaurant, the Coopers immersed themselves in their community. People often considered Bill Cooper to be the unofficial mayor of Saratoga because of his ongoing interest in the health and vitality of the community, according to Saratoga Village Development Council chairwoman and Saratoga City Councilwoman Jill Hunter.

"This is just a lovely community and we've enjoyed getting to know the people in it all these years. We've gotten close to our customers and the community," Bill Cooper said. "We're really thankful to the Saratoga community for having us and supporting us all these years."

Zaya and Nocosia, both New York natives who have resided in the Bay Area for more than 20 years, bring with them years of restaurant experience. Zaya previously owned Italian restaurants in Newark and Turlock, both of which he said were successful.

When the two began to look for a new venture, Zaya said they were drawn to the beauty of Saratoga.

"We really like the small town feel here and we want to grow with the area and make it a destination area," Zaya said.

Zaya said they were also sold on the look and feel of the Bella Saratoga and look forward to making it their own.

The menu will see some minor changes as the two add their signatures to it, but for the most part, Zaya said, not too much will change.

The pair will take over for the Coopers sometime in the beginning of June and the restaurant will remain open during the transition. Gift certificates that were sold under the Coopers' ownership will also be redeemable under the new ownership.