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03.21.24: We missed this quiet closure a few weeks back — Alameda’s Panera Bread location inside the South Shore Center has permanently shuttered. The franchise soup restaurant and bakery opened there in 2009. (For those who might want to keep their soup and sandwich replacement fix locally owned, Island Savoy Market will “set ya straight,” as they mention on Panera’s Reddit closing discussion thread.) Panera Bread was at 2249 South Shore Center Dr. in Alameda.
03.21.24: Berkeley’s family-owned Boba Panda appears to have closed quietly in recent weeks, and the windows are papered over. The sweet little tea shop opened in late 2019, and reopened after the pandemic (and a building retrofit) in December 2022. Boba Panda was at 1796 Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley.
02.29.24: As Nosh reported, German slow food restaurant Gaumenkitzel departed the soft-butter-colored corner property on San Pablo Avenue on March 24. The space is slated to become a barbecue restaurant. Co-owner Anja Voth told Nosh in an email that, after taking a break, they might explore options for a smaller restaurant or collaboration, but, for now, Berkeley has a few short weeks to say a fond farewell to Gaumenkitzel. Gaumentkitzel is at 2121 San Pablo Ave. in Berkeley and is scheduled to close March 24.
04.04.24: Winery Vinca Minor has quietly moved out of their production and tasting room space on Fourth Street in Berkeley after five years, and has relocated to Sonoma. Happily, the departure represents a bit of growth for winemaker Jason Charles — the team needed more room for production, including for Vinca’s new canned wine brand Moonland. Meanwhile, woman-owned Tessier Winery has already moved into the west Berkeley space, with a grand opening scheduled for April 5. The Vinca Minor Berkeley Tasting Room was at 1355 Fourth St. in Berkeley; the winery now operates out of Sonoma (production only, no tasting room).
03.28.24: Upscale-casual Afghani restaurant Roya closed after service on March 30 after 11 years in Livermore, as first reported by the Livermore Patch. The farewell note from owner Abdul Yawari on the restaurant’s website expressed “mixed emotions” and deepest gratitude to his diners. It also mentions his new Oakland restaurant Saffron Kitchen, which continues to garner favorable reviews since opening in Rockridge in November. Roya Afghan Cuisine is at 2020 First St. in Livermore and will close after service on March 30.
03.28.24: As foretold back in January, and as every media outlet in the country (and many internationally) have dramatically reported, March 24 was indeed In-N-Out Burger’s last day in Oakland. Diehard East Bay fans already know they can still find those animal-style burgers and fries in Alameda, San Leandro and Pinole, but the location near the Oakland Airport will be missed. In-N-Out Burger was at 8300 Oakport St. in Oakland, and is now permanently closed.
04.04.24: “THANK YOU OAKLAND,” reads Mushin Sports Lounge’s closing message on Instagram. “We’ve shared laughs, created a lot of memories, cheered on our favorite teams during good times and bad. We even got to celebrate a Warriors Championship!” The downtown sports lounge with a tight-knit local community and upscale appeal closed after service on March 31. It opened in 2021. Mushin Sports Lounge was at 1814 Franklin St. in Oakland.
03.08.24: Thanks to Beyond The Creek for being the first to alert us to Kaiwa Sushi’s closure after what we believe to be 18 years in business in Walnut Creek, possibly more, though the website is already down and online history is slim. (As Beyond The Creek summed up, and as many locals feel, it had been around “as long as I can remember.”) The small, cheerful, tidy restaurant and sushi bar was a favorite for affordable fresh fish and bento boxes, and will be missed. Kaiwa Sushi was at 1534 Locust St. in Walnut Creek.
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