Quite a bit has changed since our last Food & Drink update back in April—closures, openings, and a few long-running projects that are finally starting to move again across Emeryville and the surrounding food scene.
Slow Progress for Public Market Sweetgreen Location
We haven’t seen much visible progress on the planned Sweetgreen at the Public Market (in the former Peet’s Coffee space) since first reporting on it in September, 2024, leading to some concern that the project may have been abandoned.
However, it now appears the restaurant is still moving forward. Construction barriers at the site have recently been updated with Sweetgreen branding, offering some reassurance that the project remains active. While no official opening date has been announced, a 2026 debut appears likely based on current conditions.
Sweetgreen: 5959 Shellmound Street, Suite 85, Emeryville, CA 94608
Sideshow Opens “Express” San Pablo Ave Location
Forgive us if we’ve been slow to report on North Oakland happenings. Sideshow Express opened late last year at the former Donut Farm space at 6037 San Pablo Ave in North Oakland.
The restaurant is an offshoot of Sideshow Kitchen on Stanford Avenue and offers a streamlined menu centered on smashburgers, patty melts, cheesesteaks, wings, fries and milkshakes. They also offer a Veggie-burger.
Sideshow Express: 6037 San Pablo Ave, Oakland, CA 94608
Thrice Rebranded Peruvian Spot Closes
The Peruvian restaurant at 4336 San Pablo Avenue, formerly home to Touch of Soul, has closed. The space has seen several short-lived concepts over the past two years, cycling through multiple identities since first opening.
The restaurant initially debuted as Las Brasas before rebranding to El Huarique de Juancito in 2025 and, most recently, operating as Cocina Peruana.
In May, an eviction notice was posted by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, and the business closed shortly thereafter. Its website has since gone offline.
Cocina Peruana: 4336 San Pablo Ave, Emeryville, CA 94608
Koja Kitchen Public Market Stall Shutters
After roughly a decade at Emeryville’s Public Market, Koja Kitchen has closed one of its earlier brick-and-mortar locations, which followed its origins as a Bay Area food truck and pop-up.
The chain first opened at the market around 2015 during a wave of new food vendors and quickly became known for its Korean-Japanese fusion menu. Its signature “Kojas”—sandwiches made with crispy garlic rice buns instead of bread—anchored a lineup that also includes Korean BBQ-inspired bowls, tacos, and burgers.
Koja Kitchen currently lists seven locations on its website, with the closest Bay Area outpost in Berkeley.
Koja Kitchen: 5959 Shellmound St #19, Emeryville, CA 94608.
New Unnamed Public Market Stall
Slightly offsetting the loss of Koja Kitchen, construction is now underway for a new tenant at the Public Market, though its identity remains unannounced. We’ve reached out to Market representatives for clarification but did not hear back prior to publication.
The corner stall, situated between Market Bar and Pig in a Pickle, has remained vacant since the Public Market’s 2015–2016 renovation.
On-site signage indicates the new tenant is slated to open in “Summer 2026.”
Public Market Emeryville: 5959 Shellmound St #6, Emeryville, CA 94608.
Arthur Mac’s to Close Oakland Location, Shift Staff to Upcoming Hayward Spot
Arthur Mac’s has announced the closure of its original Oakland location near the West MacArthur BART station. Since opening its first location in 2017, the company has expanded to additional sites, including its Bay Street Emeryville location, which opened in 2021, and first announced plans for a Hayward outpost in 2022.
The upcoming Hayward location will notably incorporate one of the retired BART cars the company acquired, which is being integrated into the new site as part of its design and identity.
In announcing the closure, Arthur Mac’s emphasized a positive transition, noting that staff from the Oakland location will be relocated to the new restaurant and that the company will begin seeking a subtenant for the existing space. “We hope to help find the right concept and operator to take over our Oakland space,” the company said. The closure is expected to take place later this year, likely in the late fall.
Arthur Mac’s Tap & Snack: 4006 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Oakland, CA 94609
Emeryville Thai Spot Profiled as “Emeryville’s Worst Kept Secret”
Easter SF recently profiled neighborhood Thai food spot Secrets of Tiger on Hollis referring to it as “Emeryville’s worst-kept secret.”
The review highlights the restaurant’s regional Northeastern Thai menu, its no-frills, share-plate approach, and the energetic neighborhood following it has built since opening in 2023
Secrets of Tiger replaced the former Jasmine Blossom when it opened in 2023.
Secrets of Tiger: 6520 Hollis St, Emeryville, CA 94608.
The unopened public market stall now has a banner that says “Jamaican Food” on it. Tenting still up.