Rob AriasOur typically every-other-month Openings & Closings reports have increased in frequency recently. In the span of two months, Emeryville has lost Roba’s, Moomie’s, Hip-Hop Juice Box and now Emery Bay Café which has been a staple of the city for over 23 years.
CLOSED: Avis Budget Rental Car
The Avis Budget Rental Car near the Amtrak station is no more after 15 years in business.
Rental car facilities have been hit especially hard by the pandemic with many locations selling off their fleets of vehicles.
The business was the only one of its kind in Emeryville leaving Zipcar as the only short-term car rental option.
Walgreens closing Southwest Berkeley location https://t.co/A1WbK3bN4q
— Berkeleyside (@berkeleyside) November 4, 2021
CLOSED: Ashby Walgreens
The Walgreens Pharmacy at San Pablo Avenue & Ashby in West Berkeley permanently closed on November 17.
A national debate recently surfaced linking the pharmacy closures to high retail theft. Others have cast doubt on this theory pointing to the fact that Walgreens announced in 2019 it would be closing about 200 stores across the country.
According to Berkeleyside, the corporation did not specify reasons for this particular closure. The nearest open location is just over a mile away at 2801 Adeline Street.
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CLOSED: Emery Bay Café
Emery Bay Café announced their permanent closure via a sign posted on their window. “Thank you for your support over 23 years. It has been a pleasure meeting you and your families.” the note read outside their Christie Avenue location.
The Bay Bridge Shopping Center has been targeted for redevelopment for years including a proposed 54-story tower (since withdrawn) and most recently acquired by Oxford Properties with intent of development of a mixed-use life sciences project.
Allegro Ballroom is another business displaced by the eminent demolition of the parcel. The Wells Fargo branch is in the process of moving to the nearby Powell Street Plaza.
CLOSED: Kara’s Cupcakes at Bay Street (Again!)
Berkeleyside also broke the news that Kara’s Cupcakes at Bay Street has closed yet again. They originally shuttered back in September 2020 only to surprisingly reopen six months later.
The building is being pursued as the site of a new Grocery Store by Bay Street’s new owners that would require demolition the entire parcel.
CLOSED: Oleis Fusion
Oleis Fusion next to Arizmendi has permanently shuttered proprietor Elisha Lei confirmed through instagram. Oleis opened earlier this year replacing The Meat Up (and Grato Burger before that).
It’s been a tough road for Oleis as they suffered a break in back in August as well as other personal tragedies suffered by Lei. Oleis attempted to raise revenue via a GoFundMe campaign but came up well short of their $60K goal.
“I didn’t want to renew the lease,” Lei noted when contacted. “It was a struggle as a single mother and solo business owner & chef.”
Oleis is hoping to resurface at another smaller location and encouraged fans of their cuisine to follow them on Instagram for updates.
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OPEN: Western Dental & Orthodontics
The space vacated by a Mattress Firm location on San Pablo Avenue has a new tenant. Western Dental & Orthodontics is a national chain based in Orange, CA with nearly 250 offices in the Western U.S.
More information at westerndental.com.
REOPENING: Comeback Café
Comeback Café will apparently be making another comeback (see what I did there?). The tiny Vietnamese café on Christie Avenue closed shortly after pandemic began with no communication of reopening.
They recently posted signs on their windows indicating they will reopen in January 2022.
The Diners, Drive-ins and Dives in Emeryville are not affordable due to high wages and high taxes.
So why doesn’t the city open the public teat for these shuttered businesses, just like they did for Arizmendi’s?
[…] not include a majority of closings. In fact, no new closings have been reported within Emeryville since our last November update that we’ve been made aware […]