Coffee shop could head to shuttered Rec Room site in downtown San Jose
SAN JOSE - Plans are underway to open a new coffee shop at the former Rec Room site in downtown San Jose.
After about a year of being empty, the building at 1 East San Fernando St. is poised to come back to life through an effort headed up by Ebrahim Omar, the principal manager of A1 Plus Smoke Shop on West San Carlos Street in San Jose.
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“We really like this new location on East San Fernando for a coffee shop,” Omar said in an interview with this news organization. “We want to be downtown.”
Omar said it will likely feature coffee offerings that are popular in the Middle East.
“Coffee from Yemen, from Arabia, and other parts of the Middle East, those are some of the best coffees in the world,” Omar said.
The shuttered location has a main floor and a mezzanine. Omar expects to use both levels.
“We would be unique,” Omar said. “We want people to come in, sit, spend time, and relax.”
The mezzanine could be used for cozy social gatherings or small business meetings, according to Omar.
“We could do a VIP room on the mezzanine,” Omar said. “Maybe two or three people up there.”
Omar hopes to operate the venue from 5 a.m. to midnight, or even as late as 2 a.m.
The Rec Room opened in 2021 and closed in May 2025, according to its social media posts.
The block on East San Fernando where it operated once was a very lively spot, with Gordon Biersch Brewery operating next door until it closed in 2018.
The new coffee shop would open next to the Kaizen Lounge, with the Elyse Lounge around the corner on South First Street. Mas Loco Cantina is a busy spot a few doors away at the corner of South Second Street and East San Fernando.
It’s not clear when Omar will be able to open. He said he is concerned about the city's permit process.
“The city has so many rules for permits,” Omar said.
Despite potential obstacles, Omar has high hopes for the new venue when it opens.
“We want customers to stay and hang out,” Omar said. “We don’t want people to just leave after they get their coffee. We really want to be different.”
Other new venues also are in the works for downtown San Jose. Sakura Market is set to open a grocery store and restaurant in Paseo de San Antonio next to South First Street.
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This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 5:17 AM.