In May of 1911, the Oakland & Antioch Railway purchased one complete city block at the intersection of 40th Street and Shafter Avenue, and from 1913 to 1938, electric commuter trains ran down 40th Street to the Key System Ferry Pier. From 1939 to 1941 they continued across the lower deck of the old bay bridge to San Francisco. We named our wine shop after the Oakland Shafter Yard, that bustling station that was our block for the first half of the twentieth century, and we met someone a few years back who remembers their father taking the 40th Street train to work in San Francisco.
Oakland has had its ups and downs since then. When I arrived in 1993, there were scores of empty storefronts along Telegraph and Broadway, and the city looked depressed. Crumbling Victorians and fifties signage were evidence of a once thriving economy, but Oakland felt like it was having trouble emerging from the seventies and eighties intact. Two decades later, things were looking up. On our block of 40th Street, Manifesto Bicycles, 1-2-3-4 Go Records, and Subrosa Coffee had established themselves among the industrial supply stores, and then came Marquee Salon, Homeroom Mac & Cheese, and yes, Oakland Yard.
The pandemic knocked many of our local businesses off their feet, but it also provided new opportunities, and a handful of brave and talented entrepreneurs are jumping in to fill the void. States Coffee took over where Subrosa left off, as the life-blood of our block, open early every day, and now featuring truly delicious, freshly baked bread. We are so happy to have them. Around the corner on 41st and Broadway, Chef Carlo Espinas has reopened The Lede restaurant, where I recently enjoyed the freshest, sweetest oysters, a mouthwatering nduja toast, and an exceptional martini. And we’ve just learned that Chef Lala Harrison, east bay native and longtime sous chef at Flora, will be opening RouX40, her highly anticipated first restaurant, featuring Black heritage cuisine, at the corner of 40th and Opal Streets.
In an effort to help Chef Lala’s launch, Oakland Yard is hosting a fundraiser and celebration one week from this Saturday, on Juneteenth, from noon to 5pm in our back parking lot. Come celebrate with us and support Chef Lala in anticipation of her grand opening later this summer. There will be delicious samplings from the upcoming RouX40 menu, and Oakland Yard be selling wine and beer. Tickets are available at eventbrite.com (click here). General admission is $20, with $10 food tickets. Wine and beer tickets can be purchased at the Oakland Yard Wine Shop outdoor bar. You can also enjoy unlimited food with a glass of sparkling wine for $100. We look forward to seeing you, to celebrating Juneteenth, and to welcoming chef Lala and RouX40 to the neighborhood.
Cheers,
Max