Organic Cafe in Oakland will close! (probably)

[Guest guest]

After 21 years of providing organic vegan food, it appears that the

Organic Cafe (a.k.a. The Macrobiotic Center, or Macrobiotic

Grocery), of 1050 40th Street in Oakland, will close after dinner on

Friday.

 

The current situation is that George, the building owner has not

renewed the rental lease to restaurant owner Joel Huckins. Joel has

been served an eviction notice and is supposed to be out as of

Saturday.

 

I believe that most of the employees want to work with the property

owner and try to reopen the place as an organic vegan restaurant and

grocery. Negotiations to buy the business from Joel have not

succeeded.

 

Joel has been looking at reopening the Organic Cafe in Berkeley, at

a site on University and Shattuck. He says that he needs about

$10,000 to start up. I offered to post this information to our group

for him, in case any of you want to get involved in such a venture.

 

Without wanting to take sides in the current dispute that is

happening, I want to say that it is a remarkable accomplishment for

Joel to have kept his doors open for over two decades. For the past

12 or 13 years, it has been my favorite place to eat. I have always

been able to rely on getting a balanced, organic vegan meal there.

 

I don't know what will happen at 1050 40th Street, but here are some

scenarios:

 

1. The place will close this weekend, never to reopen.

2. The place will close this weekend, and eventually reopen under a

different name.

3. Joel will hold onto his business permits, food equipment, fire

all of the current employees except for the Tibetan cooks, settle

with the landlord, and either reopen or remain open as The Organic

Cafe. Other attempted worker coups have occurred in the past.

4. If (1) or (2), Joel might open a new restaurant in Berkeley. He

has said that he will honor the meal cards from his current business.

 

In any case, if you want to get your (possibly) last supper there,

you should probably go this week.

 

If the restaurant(s) open and/or reopen, our patronage will help

keep them that way.

 

Anybody who is interested in investing/donating in Joel's business,

you can stop by the restaurant and speak with him, or else email me

offline and I will give you his cell phone number.

 

-Jon Spear