Reem Assil, the renowned chef and entrepreneur, is all set to reopen her signature Arab bakery, Reem's, in Oakland's Jack London Square this fall. As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, the bakery marks a homecoming to the city where her culinary journey gained national acclaim. Despite its absence, Assil maintains a strong fan base in the area, declaring "they're just waiting for us to come back."
Located at 85 Webster St., the new establishment will serve as a café and a production powerhouse for Reem’s various ventures. As revealed in a Reem's Instagram post, customers can soon enjoy a quick service front, offering favorites from flatbread wraps to desserts and cardamom lattes, while witnessing bakers busily crafting Arabic bread in the sprawling backdrop.
Meanwhile, Jack London Square continues to grapple with the business upheaval post-pandemic, seeing several establishments, including restaurants and the Waterfront Hotel, shutter their doors. Despite the recent history of closures, Assil remains undeterred, "Jack London Square has always been this, do we take the risk? But I’ve always believed when you have a good anchor, that place gets really enlivened," the chef told the San Francisco Chronicle.
In addition to the Oakland opening, Assil's dedication to her team will soon come to fruition with a transition to a worker-owned model for both the upcoming bakery and her Mission District location. Speaking to her past as a labor organizer, Assil's move underscores her continued commitment to inclusive business practices. True to Reem's ethos of community empowerment, a WeFunder campaign has been launched, inviting supporters to invest and "be a part of our growing movement," Reem's exclaimed on Instagram.
