Here's our roundup of the latest in Oakland food news. A local bakery's only Oakland outpost has closed, East Oakland has a new Caribbean eatery and Downtown has gotten a new doughnut shop.
Closed
Rockridge
La Boulangerie (5500 College Ave.)
Berkeleyside reports that La Boulangerie de San Francisco has closed its Rockridge outpost — its first, and currently only, location outside SF — after two years in the neighborhood.
The local bakery mini-chain also has six locations in San Francisco. Five are open for takeout, delivery and outdoor seating, while a sixth, in the Financial District, remains closed. A new location is also planned for Irvine, in Southern California.
A company spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why the cafe closed. Berkeleyside confirmed the closure with an employee, and the location has also disappeared from the company's website.
La Boulangerie is the spinoff of the former La Boulange, which founder Pascal Rigo sold to Starbucks in 2012. After Starbucks shut down the brand in 2015, Rigo was able to reopen a handful of its locations under the new name.
"We really wanted to be in Oakland," Katie Solinger, La Boulangerie's director of operations, told Hoodline when the Rockridge location opened in 2018. The company had "been looking at this spot for a long time," she said then.
The space is currently listed for rent on LoopNet, with a price tag of about $12,000 per month. The landlord is seeking a 5- to 10-year lease term.
Open
East Oakland
CocoBreeze (2370 High St.)
Hoodline tipster Sonja B. informed us of the debut of CocoBreeze, a Caribbean restaurant in East Oakland.
The restaurant and bakery is run by Annabelle "Ann" Goodridge. According to CocoBreeze's website, Goodridge is a Laney College culinary arts grad, who got her start with a catering business serving traditional Caribbean and American dishes.
On the menu, ustomers can expect Caribbean favorites like Jamaican patties, jerk chicken and saltfish with dumplings. There's also a sizable menu of vegan options — think grilled tofu with veggies and veggie rice, or curry tofu with Creole rice.
In addition to the food, CocoBreeze sells superfood smoothies and tropical drinks like soursop, sorrel and peanut punch. Vegan baked goods are available, too.
As the new restaurant gets going, hours are limited: Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. There's a small amount of outdoor seating, or you can order takeout by calling (510) 479-3270.
Downtown
Downtown Deli & Donuts (414 14th St.)
Hoodline's veteran tipster Al M. alerted us that the former home of vegan-friendly restaurant Analog, which closed in February, has found a new taker. Analog had closed in February.
Downtown Deli & Donuts offers, as its name suggests, a selection of doughnuts and deli sandwiches (turkey, tuna, roast beef or pastrami). Also on the menu: hot dogs, fries, nachos and soft drinks.
A block away from the 12th Street Oakland BART station and near several office buildings, the business caters to "people working in the area," Al said.
Thanks to our tipsters Sonja B. and Al M.! Have you noticed a new addition to (or subtraction from) Oakland's food landscape? Text a tip and a horizontal photo to (415) 200-3233, and we'll look into it.
