Gigi's Cafe is trading up in a very Burlingame way, taking over the tiny historic Greyhound bus depot across from the city's Caltrain station and turning it into a second downtown outpost at 1080 Howard Avenue. The popular sandwich-and-espresso spot is slated to squeeze into the compact 1939 depot in a reuse the city has been working toward for months.
Council Action And Lease Terms
The deal surfaced on the Burlingame City Council's agenda as a resolution authorizing the city manager to sign a lease with Gigi's Café LLC for the Greyhound Bus Depot. The item describes an initial five-year term with two additional five-year options. The staff report, resolution, and proposed lease are listed among the meeting attachments, according to the City of Burlingame.
Depot History And Tenant Rules
The building went up in 1939 as a Greyhound depot and clocks in at roughly 590 square feet, sitting directly across from the Burlingame Caltrain station. The city's Request for Proposals for the site spells out that tenants must preserve the exterior, and that the tenant is on the hook for landscaping, maintenance, and any capital improvements needed to operate the space, per the City of Burlingame.
Gigi's Cafe Expansion
Owner Teresa Gee - the "Gigi" behind Gigi's Cafe - will use the depot spot to effectively double the cafe's downtown footprint, according to local reporting. The lease and Gee's plans were detailed by the San Francisco Business Times.
What It Means For Downtown Burlingame
The move plants a well-known neighborhood brand in a prime, commuter-heavy corner next to Caltrain. Yelp ranked Gigi's Cafe No. 14 on its 2023 Top 100 Places to Eat list, a bit of bragging rights that could help lure both rail riders and visitors through the door, according to Yelp. Coupled with the depot's walk-up presence at the station, the tiny storefront is poised to function as an efficient grab-and-go operation for downtown foot traffic.
Timeline And Next Steps
Before Gigi's can pour a single espresso at the depot, the tenant has to lock down permits and complete any needed build-out. The city's RFP notes that a lease may begin as soon as 30 days after council approval, although permitting and construction will ultimately dictate when the doors open, per the City of Burlingame. As of July 13, 2026, there was no firm opening date on the calendar, and the exact timing still depends on the tenant's construction and permit schedule.
