San Bruno B.A.R.T.

  MILLBRAE--Owner Cielo Rocha hoped that once the Millbrae BART station opened a few blocks away from her Mr. Pickle's Sandwich Shop, the hungry masses would discover her hidden gem.

  With sandwiches like the Italian-themed "Tony Soprano," Rocha figured her mom- and-pop shop would be the kind of place people flock to for the food and ambience. She hoped to fill her customer snapshot board with many new faces, but it doesn't look like that will be happening anytime soon.

  Before it opened in late June, BART officials were expecting Millbrae's station to be among the busiest in the system, with daily ridership projected at 15,900 for July, eventually rising to 33,000 by 2010.

  Although many believe it's too soon to tell how busy the BART station will be,especially because of summer vacations, ridership has lagged tremendously behind predictions. BART estimated only about 5,000 daily riders in July.

  The anticipated jump in customers has not happened at Mr. Pickle's or many other stores along Broadway in the city's quaint downtown area, disappointing many business owners.

  "I haven't felt any effects of (the station opening) yet," Rocha said. "A lot of people don't know we're around."

  BART spokesman Mike Healy said the station hasn't caught on with Peninsula residents the way BART officials hoped, but he is still optimistic that the numbers will rise significantly after the summer.

  Not only are the numbers smaller than anticipated, the commuters don't appear to be the kind that would benefit the merchants.

  Attorney Lauren Bolfango of Burlingame, who used to drive to her job in San Francisco, has taken BART since the Millbrae station opened. She used to pay $30 a day to park downtown; her BART commute costs $8.60, including $2 to park at the Millbrae lot.

  "The difference between being able to read a book or do some work instead of screaming and yelling at the other drivers is a big deal," Bolfango said. "I'm so happy it's here."

  Bolfango may be the kind of commuter that BART was hoping to attract, but she's not the ideal commuter for Millbrae businesses.

  Many business owners hoped the station would be a magnet for neighborhood commuters, who would leave their cars at home and walk past the businesses on their way to and from the station.

  But the reality is that many commuters are simply driving to the station, paying $2 to park and then driving home again without paying any attention to the businesses along El Camino Real and Broadway.

  Peter's Cafe owner Peter Liu thought he was sitting pretty when plans for the BART station were announced several years ago. The restaurant sits on the corner of Millbrae Avenue and El Camino Real, next door to the BART station, and was one of a handful of businesses that stood to gain the most after BART opened.

  Those expectations have fallen short, Liu said, prompting him to go after BART riders more aggressively by beefing up his coffee and muffin offerings and displaying a banner advertising take-out service.

  "There has been some impact, but not quite as pronounced as anyone thought it would be," Liu said. "We're just going to take it a step at a time."

  The businesses along the five-block commercial stretch of Broadway have more of a challenge: The two-block walk to and from the station doesn't appeal to many train riders. Businesses that usually gain the most from BART traffic are those much closer to the stations.

  "People wouldn't walk over here because we're too far," said Cathy Grossman, the manager of Rosie's Cantina on Broadway. "The (BART construction) crews used to come in here quite a bit, but now they're gone."

  Not all businesses are disappointed, however. The neighborhood Starbucks was still jam-packed on a Monday afternoon, and store supervisor Ryan Ronquillo said he believes there's been an increase in foot traffic on the weekends thanks to BART.

  "So far it's been constantly the same, except for the mornings on the weekends, when it's busier," Ronquillo said. "That's when all the new faces come in."

  Gary Barranti, the owner of Leonardo's Italian Cafe & Delicatessen, said he's also noticed some new faces in the neighborhood. He hopes business will pick up even more once the summer season ends.

  "These things take time to see how it's going to turn out," Barranti said. "I think it will be a positive thing. I'm not ready to turn my back on it."

E-mail Ray Delgado at rdelgado@sfchronicle.com.