Oakland is finally getting its own Salt & Straw. The Portland-based ice cream chain plans to open its first Oakland shop in the Rockridge neighborhood on Friday, November 13, at 6310 College Ave., Suite 140.
The opening would mark Salt & Straw's ninth Bay Area location and its second in the East Bay, following its San Ramon shop, according to KRON4. The station reports the chain currently operates eight locations across the Bay Area. Salt & Straw is based in Portland, Oregon, per the same report.
The new College Avenue scoop shop will sit near a cluster of neighborhood staples, landing close to the Safeway, Boichik Bagels, Peet's and Philz Coffee, the station notes. That puts Salt & Straw right in the middle of one of Rockridge's busiest commercial strips, a spot already dense with coffee and food options for passersby.
What's On the Menu
The Oakland shop is slated to serve a lineup of seasonal and signature flavors, per a Salt & Straw spokesperson cited by the station's report. That includes Salted, Malted Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough alongside the chain's Double Fold Vanilla.
Also on tap are several fall-leaning creations: Parker House Rolls with Salted Buttercream, Maple Koginut Squash with Pomegranate, and Pumpkin Pie with Almond Croissant Streusel. The menu reportedly rounds out with a savory Turkey and Bacon Caramel flavor and a Cranberry Shortbread Tart option for vegan customers.
A Decade-Plus of West Coast Growth
Salt & Straw was founded in 2011 and has since opened more than 50 locations across 10 U.S. states, with its footprint concentrated primarily on the West Coast, the outlet's report states. The Oakland opening would extend that expansion deeper into the East Bay, five years after the chain's San Ramon shop debuted.
That San Ramon location, at City Center Bishop Ranch, was described at the time as Salt & Straw's first East Bay brick-and-mortar shop, according to a 2021 report from the East Bay Times. At that point, the chain's other Bay Area locations included spots in San Francisco, Burlingame, Palo Alto and Valley Fair in Santa Clara, per the same report.
Salt & Straw's online directory lists addresses for several of those shops, including its Bishop Ranch location on Bollinger Canyon Road in San Ramon, a Burlingame shop on Burlingame Boulevard, and a Fillmore Street location in San Francisco. The Rockridge opening would give East Bay fans of the chain a second, closer option without the drive out to San Ramon.
