Job Fair at Black Bear Diner Under Way

When a baker applying to work at Milpitas' newest diner wanted to demonstrate her skills, she did what she had to do. She brought in two pies, banana cream and lemon meringue.

"We all enjoyed it," said Celina Gonzales, owner of Black Bear Diner in Milpitas. "Nice, human touch."

Hiring an entirely new staff of about 100 from scratch is what Gonzales, her husband, Sam Ghaben, and their restaurant managers are attempting to do during a . Wednesday is the last day.

On Tuesday, managers had interviewed at least 150-200 people out of 300 who filled out applications, they said. Gonzales said she had hoped more people would show up.

The positions, about 70 percent part time, according to a manager, need to be filled, from the front of the house to the kitchen. The wages are competitive, said Robert Garcia, general manager.

David Pham of San Jose interviewed on Tuesday with the kitchen manager. He's a cook with 15 years of experience cooking different types of Asian cuisine, including in hotels and casinos.

If hired, Black Bear Diner would be his second job, he said. Pham is working full time as a cook at his current job now, but he makes less than $2,000 a month. And he's not considering a career change.

"It's a passion. I like to cook," he said, adding that in the end, "it's not about money."

As he stood in the parking lot, contractors were inside the building working to finish the interior by the first weekend of August. Opening day is Aug. 22.

The interior has been gutted, all the way down to the 25-year-old drainage. The building formerly housed Zahir's and Bakers Square.

Ghaben and Gonzales have secured their building permits from the city. Among the new changes is a pop-out extension of the front entrance. They're adding windows for more natural light and a traditional diner counter-top bar with stools.

Gonzales shows her excitement when she talks about the bear murals on the walls, part of the Black Bear Diner decor theme.

"I could have done any concept," she said, about opening a restaurant. "This is the one I chose. This is the one I love."

As she stood on the outside of the building along West Calaveras, a tow-truck driver from Unique Towing yelled out his window, "When are you opening?"  

"August 22," she yelled back.