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Fountain Alley in Downtown San Jose is set to welcome Bitterbuck, a new bar and cafe concept from co-owners Cache Bouren and Tomoyo Yoshinaga. The opening at 30 Fountain Alley #170 is scheduled for summer 2025.
Bitterbuck will operate as a coffee shop during the day and a cocktail bar at night. The unique concept focuses on Amaro and bitters, with no lemon or lime juices used in cocktails. They’ll serve coffee in the morning, transitioning to cocktails in the afternoon, and offer a European-style drinking experience with a techy twist of ordering by phone. The establishment aims to create a community space focusing on quality drinks, local partnerships with roasters and bakers, and a niche cocktail approach. Check out the menu.
Bitterbuck follows some legendary San Jose drinking establishments, including Cash Only and Haberdasher, which are also run by the pair. Tomoyo’s path to bar ownership and now launching Bitterbuck began when she moved to San Jose from Chicago to practice judo at San Jose State University’s Olympic training center. She competed nationally and internationally, frequently competing against notable judoka, Ronda Rousey, in her division. The discipline and competitive drive gained from judo, combined with needing to pay her way through college and sport, would later influence her career in bartending.
While studying humanities at San Jose State, Tomoyo worked as a barista and server to support herself. She began bartending at the Voodoo Lounge, where her training involved being quickly immersed in the job. The Voodoo Lounge exposed her to San Jose’s local arts and music scene. However, her discovery of Single Barrel, a new speakeasy in downtown San Jose, marked a turning point.
Single Barrel, opened in 2010 by Cache Bouren and his partner Joe Gradillas, introduced Tomoyo to a deeper world of craft cocktails. She was fascinated by the historical and sociological aspects of bartending, which aligned with her background in the humanities. The bar focused on personalized service, with bartenders “flavor profiling” each guest to create custom drinks. This approach starkly contrasted the “Red Bulls and vodkas” bar scene in San Jose at the time.
Tomoyo worked at Single Barrel until Cache took over ownership and reopened as Haberdasher at the same location. She became instrumental in that new project, brainstorming the evolution of the concept and aiming to streamline operations while maintaining the intimate, tailored experience. Tomoyo also came up with the name “Haberdasher,” intending to capture the idea of “tailor-made” cocktails. As Cache began to step back from daily operations at Habberdasher, Tomoyo took on more authority, becoming the bar manager and building her own team. Her focus expanded from mastering cocktails to becoming a more effective leader, a skill she continuously develops by learning from other professionals and embracing direct communication. Tomoyo’s leadership has now grown to include co-ownership of Cash Only and Bitterbuck in Downtown San Jose.
In this conversation, Tomoyo shares her experiences competing in judo, her introduction to bartending, the curiosity and drive behind her work, and what folks can expect from Bitterbuck.
Follow Tomoyo’s work
On the web at haberdashersj.com, cashonlysj.com, & bitterbucksj.com
On Instagram at tomobot, haberdashersj, cashonlysj, & bitterbucksj
