A restaurant and bar for sci-fi fans is reopening at 400 E. Campbell Ave., in the space formerly occupied by Lvl Up. The expected opening for 7 Stars Bar and Grill is later this summer.
Named after the seven members of owners Paul and Marya Cunha’s family, 7 Stars features science fiction-themed trivia, art and décor.
“It’s a place for all fandoms,” said Marya Cunha. “We encourage everyone’s different ones.”
The Cunhas hosted trivia nights at 7 Stars’ former location in San Jose, with themes including “Star Wars,” “Star Trek” and the Marvel cinematic universe. Fans of shows like “Game of Thrones,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “The Mandalorian” would gather at the bar and grill for TV watch parties.
They had themed karaoke nights where customers were encouraged to cosplay, as well as May the Fourth celebrations and Halloween parties.
“We always say I reach for the stars and he keeps my feet on the ground,” said Cunha of her husband. “Without me it’d be too safe, and without him it would be too outrageous.”
The Santa Clara residents are planning a robust menu for the new location and are excited that there is a farmers’ market on the street in front of their restaurant. They plan to repeat the custom menus and drinks they previously created for customer events. They would also like their new space to be more family friendly during the day and have the evenings after 8 p.m. be for patrons 21 and up.
They have declared 7 Stars as a safe zone for all people, regardless of color, race, religion, gender expression/identity or who you love, Cunha said.
“We pride ourselves on how we train our staff,” she added. “Once we set the tone, we attract the customers we wanted to attract. We want everyone to feel welcome.”
The Cunhas closed their previous location on Bascom Avenue in 2021 due to their lease being up and uncertainties surrounding the COVID pandemic. The bar and grill had a 10-year run in San Jose.
They’d been looking for a new location, although they did not expect the search to take over two years. The Cunhas were in escrow for one location and spent almost $15,000 on permits and legal fees only to have the deal to fall through.
“We looked at many other places while waiting,” said Paul. “This is the one place that doesn’t need anything; it’s ready for us to move right in.”
The Cunhas hope that the 3000-square-foot restaurant and bar will offer the same experience for customers as at the previous location, although some previous trivia themes were dependent on staff knowledge.
“The Disney one was crazy; we had no idea how popular that would be,” said Marya. “We had to turn people away at the door.”
Both owners had early connections with the “Star Wars” franchise, including seeing some of the first three original movies at the Century theaters. Marya has a family friend who worked on the original “Return of the Jedi” film. The Cunhas had a “Star Wars”-themed wedding with Jedi robes and lightsabers.
Nonetheless, the couple says the restaurant’s décor happened organically.
“I pulled my toys out of the shed; that’s how it started,” said Paul Cunha. “And it’s just grown over the years.”
“We could always tell if someone was new to the bar,” said Marya, “because they would wander around looking at things.”
Customers also pose for pictures in front of the giant model of Jabba the Hut.
“Apparently [Jabba was] a ‘Pokémon Go’ stop before we even knew what that was,” said Marya.
The Cunhas launched a Kickstarter fundraising campaign in May to raise money for the restaurant’s reopening. With a goal of $15,000, the fundraiser surpassed expectations with 171 backers pledging approximately $40,000.
“We did very well,” said Paul.
One of the Kickstarter prizes was a behind-the-scenes tour of the new bar and restaurant, which is why the Cunhas hadn’t posted any pictures of the interior on social media as of press time.
