The Cherry Orchard Specialty Retail Center is located at one of the most important intersections in Silicon Valley, at the crossing of Mathilda Avenue and El Camino Real. The 60,000 square foot retail center creates a new gateway to downtown Sunnyvale.

Inspiration for the architectural vocabulary for the center is drawn from the California Missions. These Missions also inspired earlier civic buildings in Sunnyvale, including the original city hall and the local high school. The placement of the restaurant at the corner creates a sense of enclosure. Corner pavilions housing food and coffee uses anchor the site and define the vehicular entrances.

The landscape design draws on the agrarian heritage of the site, and features both an orchard of cherry trees and a palm allée linking the restaurant and major two-story bookstore. On El Camino Real, the historic cherry stand and water tower have been retained.