A Look at Shadowbrook's History

Capitola's Shadowbrook, a massive enterprise overlooking Soquel Creek, has long attracted locals and tourists with its tasty dishes and elegant ambiance. But what about the man behind the restaurant?

That man is Ted Burke, who has run the restaurant for 33 years with his now-retired partner, Bob Munsey. Burke is the quintessential hands-on manager with no plans to retire or sell, and his history with the Shadowbrook is a long one, starting when he was just a college student.

In 1972, then-owners Mike Clark and Mike McClellan hired Burke for the summer.

Burke was studying finance at Santa Clara University, and he started working for the Shadowbrook to help pay for graduate school. He said his original plan was to get a master’s in international business and work in Latin America, but after making some money at the restaurant, he decided to take off an entire semester.

Eventually, Clark and McClellan asked Burke to join their management team as its third member.

“Because creativity was allowed and they were great mentors, I said I'd do it for two years,” Burke said. “I always say our industry is good for a year or a career."

Burke said he loves the restaurant business, because of its fast-paced environment. There are multiple problems every day that have to be solved within minutes.

“Customer service is instantaneous,” Burke said. “The smile of a guest when they leave is instant gratification. It lets us know right away if we've done it well.”

Shadowbrook has features that cannot be found elsewhere in Santa Cruz County. It has eight dining rooms, such as the glass-enclosed greenhouse, the garden room with its living cypress in the middle, and the fireplace room with a hanging balcony.

Burke's table of choice is tucked away under the balcony near the fireplace. Dubbed the “glove compartment,” it's about the same size as his office—a closet so compact that the door can't be closed when he's working on the computer.

Burke employs 125 people and serves an average of 200 diners per weeknight and 500 on Saturday evenings.

“Our business level depends on the day and the season," he said. "We serve a high of 1,000 guests on Christmas and Thanksgiving, when we open at noon, and a low of 60 or so on a rainy Monday night in the winter.” 

The restaurant is bigger in size than it appears, because some sections are built into the hillside. The kitchen has a turf roof, and guests have to walk or ride the cable-car to fully view the extensive property.

“We have a lot of non-public space as opposed to public restaurant space,” Burke said. “We have the luxury of storage rooms to age wine, to maintain our handyman's shop and to operate a garden and plant hospital.”

The Shadowbrook has more than 120 wines on its regular list and 20 on the reserve and limited supply lists. In all, Burke estimates there are 15,000 bottles in the cellar.

Although there are many things Burke loves about his work, he says the restaurant business can often be one problem after another.

When the Soquel Creek flooded in 1982, treacherous waters swept away the restaurant's patio, and Burke was ordered to evacuate the premises. Despite the warning, Burke and some of his staff slept there, in defiance, so they could keep the gas-fired water pumps running and the main restaurant dry.

Shadowbrook has averted other disasters, too. Burke recalls a time when a power interruption threatened the success of an important fund raiser.

“We had to start cooking the night before," he explained. "And when we called PG&E to restore power, they said the earliest that they could come out would be the next morning. When we explained that we had to do better than that because a fundraiser for Senator Mello, they arrived in a half hour!”

When asked about the biggest disaster he has encountered, Burke said, “We regrettably did have one death over the 39 years I have been here. A guest suffered a fatal heart attack at the table, [and] we called the ambulance and carefully moved diners out of that room while paramedics worked on him.”

Burke thanks Munsey, his partner and friend, for sharing all the problems and joys that come with being a restaurateur.

And has he looks back at almost four decades at the Shadowbrook, he smiles.

"I'm so glad I said 'yes' to my bosses in 1972 and deviated from grad school," he said. "The love affair with my work continues—39 years later.”