One Year of Empire Armadillo: A Thank You to the South Bay From John Vink

A letter from Empire Armadillo founder John Vink on our first anniversary.

One year ago, I bought a restaurant so I wouldn't have to give up a chicken sandwich. I know how that sounds. But if you've eaten with us at Empire Armadillo, I think you understand.

For 30 years I was a regular at the various Armadillo Willy's in the Bay Area.  When I worked at Apple I ate at the Cuperinto location.  When I worked at Nest, I ate at the Los Altos location.  When I worked at Google, it was the Sunnyvale location.  And then during the pandemic, it was the Santa Clara location where I met Ousmane. 

Every week, the same order, that pit-smoked chicken sandwich I couldn't find anywhere else. When the chain closed in June 2025, I wasn't ready to say goodbye to it or to the neighborhood spot so many of us had grown up on. So I did the only thing that made sense to a retired engineer with too much stubbornness: I took over the space, teamed up with Ousmane Barry, and in three months we reopened those doors as Empire Armadillo BBQ & Deli. We saved the chicken sandwich! And somewhere along the way, we built something bigger than I ever planned.

A year in, I want to say the most important thing first: thank you. Thank you to every person in Sunnyvale, San Jose, and across the South Bay who walked in curious and came back a regular. You are the reason we're still here, still smoking, still stacking your favorites.

From one location to two

When we opened in Sunnyvale, the plan was simple: keep the lights on and keep the smoker running. We had always planned to open both locations at the same time, but one landlord loved money, and the other landlord loved lawyers.  Four months later we were able to open our second location in December, at 878 Blossom Hill Road in San Jose, another beloved former Armadillo Willy's restaurant, that had gone quiet. Bringing Texas Barbecue back to that neighborhood was a proud moment for me and our whole Empire Armadillo team.

At both restaurants, the promise is the same one we started with: everything is made from scratch. Our brisket, ribs, pulled pork, and jalapeño cheddar sausage are smoked low and slow over real wood. Our pastrami and corned beef are in-house smoked for our Reubens and New York deli sandwiches. Texas heat, New York stacks, and a unique Silicon Valley flavor. Smoked low, stacked high. That's not just a slogan to us. It's what we do at 5 a.m. before you ever smell it from the parking lot.

The year that made us a neighborhood

What I didn't expect was how quickly this became a community. When our Sunnyvale location had a fire, I honestly didn't know what would come next but then the Sunnyvale firefighters showed up and saved our store. Thank you doesn't feel like enough, but thank you to the amazing firefighters and other first responders who saved our Sunnyvale location (again!).

And then there was everything our amazing customers brought through our doors. The puzzlemakers who made Sunnyvale their home, filling our tables with laughter and a little friendly competition. The World Cup watch parties, where we cheered on Team USA together. The fundraisers we hosted for local schools and community organizations, because a restaurant should give back to the people who keep it running. The new friends, the first customers that became regulars, the beginning of what I’m sure will be lifelong relationships built over a tray of brisket. This is the part no business plan can promise you, and it's the part I'm most thankful for.

Even after a year, every week customers recognize me from the newspaper articles we have printed on the wall and thank me for saving their favourite restaurant with so many memories.  Thank you for coming back.

We've also had the honor of feeding you beyond our dining rooms. Our BBQ catering has traveled to birthday parties, graduations, and work events all over the Bay Area, a special shoutout to the Del Rey Dealer Group for letting us feed your team! If you're planning a gathering, our team would love to serve you.

Still serving up your favorites

Here's my promise for year two: we're still serving up all your menu favorites, and we're not slowing down. The same chicken sandwich that started this whole thing. The brisket, the ribs, the pastrami, the Reubens, the banana pudding and cheesecake at the end. Whether it's Sunnyvale (161 E. El Camino Real) or San Jose (878 Blossom Hill Road), our doors are open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and there's always a seat for you.

To this community: thank you for supporting a stubborn engineer and his sandwich. Thank you for making Empire Armadillo yours. Here's to many more years of Texas barbecue, New York deli classics, and good people around the table.

With gratitude, John Vink Founder, Empire Armadillo BBQ & Deli

Sunnyvale · San Jose · Serving the Bay Area · Catering available for events of every size — empirearmadillo.com