Calavera, the upscale Mexican restaurant in Uptown Oakland, announced on Instagram that it will close Jan. 6.
During its heyday, the restaurant was so popular, the noise levels were off the charts, according to our 2015 dining review. Clearly, diners found the atmosphere and menu of small plates, street tacos and creative cocktails irresistible. But the restaurant has faced a series of challenges in subsequent years.
In April 2016, three former employees launched a class action lawsuit against the restaurant alleging wage theft. By the time the lawsuit was settled in April 2022 for an undisclosed amount, 263 employees had signed on, according to Oaklandside.
In December 2022, the San Francisco Chronicle panned the restaurant with a review bearing the headline: “What does gentrification taste like? This dreadful Oakland restaurant serves it on a tortilla.”
The bar area is photographed at Calavera Mexican Kitchen and Agave Bar on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2015 in Oakland, Calif. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)
In early 2023, five partners — Sarah Ryan, Ryan Dixon, Desiree Maese, Omar Huerta and Geo Radilla– bought Calavera and Oakland’s Chop Bar from former owner Chris Pastena. Chop Bar closed in July, Ryan says, and three of the partners have left the group.
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The driving factors in the decision to close Calaveras will sound familiar in these post-pandemic days. Oakland’s downtown still has not recovered from the long lockdown. Crime has impacted visitors’ willingness to come to Oakland restaurants, Ryan says, citing a number of break-ins at neighboring Uptown Oakland restaurants and shops. Oakland’s property crime rates rose 28% in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022.
“Our decision to close was impacted by decreased sales from less foot traffic,” Ryan says. And ultimately, the restaurant’s hopes for a more profitable holiday season weren’t realized, she says: “We didn’t have the cash reserves to make it any further.”
Calavera will be open for dinner service starting at 5 p.m. through Saturday.
Details: Calavera, 2337 Broadway, Oakland; calaveraoakland.com.
