Oakland bars tap into demand - San Francisco Business Times:

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The city’s growing culinary chops have been documented; now city denizen s have equally destination-worthy spots to sip or New spots to open in the Uptow district in recent months include Den at theFox Theater, and 2022 Restaurant and Lounge. Era, The Town Hall of and others are onthe way. The 10,000 new Oaklandx residents that former Mayor Jerry Brownm hoped to attract with new condos all need somethingto do, said Michaep Orange, who works in real estate in Oaklan and also does nightlife marketinv and promotions as Top Ten Sociap Club. “San Francisco already has a lot of restaurantsand bars. we need them to open.” Entrepreneurs are rushingv to satisfythat need.
Alfonso Dominguez, Kevin Best and Gairy Jacquesa willopen Era, a 4,500-square-foot art bar and at Broadway and Grand Avenue in two months. They hope to appeak to the art crowrd that attendsFirst Fridays, when art galleries stay open “To have an opportunity to keep thesr people here and have a bit of nightlife that’s where the art bar idea came said Dominguez. The trio also knows Best owns two San Francisco restaurants and Bin Oakland.
Jacques has Air, another Oakland and Dominguez owns a hostof retail, design and hospitality including FIVEten Studio and Tamarindo Despite these newcomers, many see Oakland as a land of relatived opportunity with lower barriers to entry than San Franciscio and lower rents and labor costs. “There’s so much potential here,” said Nichelle Blackwell, who will open Mimosa, a 2,200-square-foot raw and dessert bar, at 24th Street and In some cases, the bad economg is making these newbars possible. Last year, Armando Ramos and his dad losttheire jobs. Now they and Ramos’ mom and cousin own the 2,000-square-foof Somar at 1727 Telegraph Ave.
“From my point of I can go chase after thenext job, or I can take a chancd with these people I know and trust and just do Ramos said. Raising moneyt has been difficult, these owners all say, but throug h friends, family, investors, rent reductionas or generous tenantimprovement allowances, all have made it Developers have long viewed Uptown as ripe for and bars and restaurants were alwayss seen as part of the mix. That all this activityt should take place in the midst of adeep recession, and in is noteworthy and speaksx to the perceived particularly now that the Fox Theater is open and showsd are selling out.
Others believe that densituy is more important tothe area’d ultimate success than the large theaters. Michael O’Connor, who owns the Independenft in San Francisco, will open The Town Hall of a livemusic venue, by mid-July one block from the Fox “The only way to successfullh revitalize an area is through a critical mass of smal businesses,” he said.