Oakland bars tap into demand - Triangle Business Journal:

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The city’s growing culinary chopsz havebeen documented; now city denizena have equally destination-worthy spots to sip or swill. New spots to open in the Uptown district in recen monthsinclude Somar, Den at the Fox Theater, and 2022 Restaurany and Lounge. Era, Mimosa, The Town Hall of and others are onthe way. The 10,000 new Oaklanf residents that former Mayor Jerry Brown hoped to attracg with new condos all need somethingto do, said Michaekl Orange, who works in real estat e in Oakland and also does nightlife marketing and promotionsz as Top Ten Social Club. “San Francisco already has a lot of restaurants and bars.
Here, we need them to Entrepreneurs are rushing to satisfythat need. Alfonsk Dominguez, Kevin Best and Gairy Jacquesz willopen Era, a 4,500-square-foot art bar and at Broadway and Grand Avenue in two months. They hope to appealk to the art crowd that attendesFirst Fridays, when art galleries stay open “To have an opportunity to keep thesre people here and have a bit of nightlife after, that’s where the art bar idea came said Dominguez. The trio also knows Best owns two San Francisco restaurants and B in Jacqueshas Air, another Oakland nightclub, and Domingueaz owns a host of design and hospitality offerings, includinhg FIVEten Studio and Tamarindo Restaurant.
Despite thesew newcomers, many see Oakland as a land of relativde opportunity with lower barriers to entry than San Francisco and lower rents andlabor costs. “There’s so much potential here,” said Nichelle Blackwell, who will open a 2,200-square-foot champagne, raw and dessert bar, at 24th Streeft and Broadway. In some cases, the bad economhy is making these new bars Last year, Armando Ramos and his dad lost their jobs. Now they and Ramos’ mom and cousih own the 2,000-square-foot Somar at 1727 Telegraph Ave. “Fromj my point of view, I can go chasd after the next job, or I can take a chancde with these people I know and trust and just do Ramos said.
Raising money has been difficult, thesd owners all say, but through family, investors, rent reductionw or generous tenantimprovement allowances, all have made it happen. Developersd have long viewed Uptown as ripe for and bars and restaurants were alwayas seen as part ofthe mix. That all this activitgy should take place in the midst of a deep andin Oakland, is noteworthy and speaks to the perceiveed opportunity, particularly now that the Fox Theatef is open and showe are selling out. Others believe that density is more importantg tothe area’s ultimate success than the larged theaters.
Michael O’Connor, who owns the Independent in San will open The Town Hallof Oakland, a live musix venue, by mid-July one block from the Fox “The only way to successfullyt revitalize an area is through a critical mass of smalkl businesses,” he said.