Despite a 4.1% dip in trade volume, the Port of Oakland views the decline as stable, with a rise in exports and efficient operations despite fewer vessel calls.

Sprinkles Cupcakes abruptly closed its bakeries on Wednesday. Founder Candace Nelson confirmed the move on Instagram; employees say many got little notice.

Investor materials show OpenAI averaged about $1.5M in stock‑based pay per employee across roughly 4,000 staff, a scale reshaping retention and investor math in San Francisco.

As 2025 comes to a close, here's a brief roundup of recent changes to Castro area businesses. In this edition, a cafe prepares to open, a Thai spa opens, a barbershop moves, and a former coffee shop hits the market.

Tokyo Central is opening a new store in Emeryville, offering a range of Japanese products and embodying the philosophy of Omotenashi hospitality. The grand opening includes a $10 gift certificate giveaway and other festivities.

Sanofi plans to acquire Dynavax Technologies for $2.2 billion, offering a 39% premium on the latter's shares, which may stimulate further biotech deals in the Bay Area.

San Jose's Hyphen is scaling AI-powered makelines to build digital orders, with backing from Chipotle and Cava. Pilots and factory ramping are already underway.

The Berkeley REI Co-op store closed due to safety concerns about the roof, impacting holiday shoppers and leaving employees uncertain. An engineer will assess the building before it reopens.

Martinez Refining Company was fined $20,000 by the Bay Area Air District for not properly monitoring air pollutants and is now required to enhance transparency and public access to air quality data.

A power outage in San Francisco caused by a substation fire during a peak business weekend resulted in significant financial losses for local businesses, particularly restaurants and shops, with PG&E pledging to simplify claims for compensation.

Dave & Buster's will open a 43,000-sq-ft entertainment center at Santa Rosa Plaza on January 26, 2026, promising arcade games, a WOW wall and about 170 jobs.

Trian and General Catalyst have agreed to buy Janus Henderson for about $7.4B at $49 a share, keeping CEO Ali Dibadj and the firm's London and Denver hubs intact.

A software update and payment‑processor error left roughly 200 Bay Area customers temporarily charged 100x for gas; 7‑Eleven says it will issue refunds plus $500 payouts.