It all began in 1984 when Linnaea Phillips created a gathering place for conversation, music, social events, and, of course, sharing good food and drink. With the help of many friends, her vision of a classic coffee house became a reality, and one of the first 2nd wave coffee establishments on the West Coast was born. Almost 40 years later, Linnaea's Cafe is still a beloved fixture of downtown San Luis Obispo and a popular place for both locals and out-of-towners.

In 2008, Linnaea sold the café to her longtime manager, Marianne Orme, who continued to expand the bakery and events program. In 2023 the cafe passed to husband-wife duo Alex and Rusty Quirk, who have dedicated themselves to restoring and maintaining Linnaea’s as the eclectic and welcoming center of San Luis Obispo’s coffee house culture. Linnaea’s remains a popular showcase for rising local artists and host to a variety of musical performances, poetry readings, art installations, jazz jams, and other events.

The Garden has been around since the cafe was founded in 1984. It became a community project when Linnaea asked friends and customers to bring in a brick or two to help build the patio floor. You can still see the signed, decorated blocks here and there, reminding us that we're all in this together--that we have the power to create community and a beautiful space for us all to enjoy and benefit from.

People spend many a lovely hour out back in the garden, sipping lattes, catching up with friends, studying, or doing creative work in the quiet, serene space. The resident sparrows and finches come and go among the dense branches of the tropical arbor, cleaning up any muffin crumbs and taking little splash baths in the koi pond.

San Luis Obispo is the county seat and home of California Polytechnic State University with a population of 45,000. It is almost exactly half-way between Los Angeles & San Francisco, and just a few miles from the coast, where Highways 1 and 101 meet. It is a quiet and beautiful town, with a strong sense of community. The town slows down a bit during the first part of the summer, but picks up in August when Europe takes a vacation. San Luis has a beautiful downtown, wonderful outdoor concerts during the summer, and great weather year round. We are blessed to live in such a beautiful place!