Pictured from left to right: Partners Ashe Billon, Tina Nanez, Harv Billon, Maddox Nanez Sahota (Tina & Mendra’s son), and Mendra Singh Sahota A Longtime Dream Becomes a Bay Area Smashburger Sensation Mendra Singh Sahota has always dreamed of burgers. He started in the food and beverage industry in his twenties, first as a…
The Monk’s Kettle opened on Valencia Street in the Mission in December 2007, founded on a love for great food, quality beer, and building community. Part of the first wave of gastropubs in the city, The Monk’s Kettle was a stalwart of the San Francisco craft beer scene. But over 16 years of serving patrons…
45 Years of Powering Dreams: How a Family Business Grew into a Community Pillar In 1986, Diana O’Valle opened a small childcare center in her family’s two-bedroom Oakland home. Today, her daughter Sandi Zorinich leads Rockridge Montessori, the business Diana started nearly forty years ago. In that time, this family-run business has grown into…
Already successful business owners of the popular downtown Oakland nightlife destination, Bar Shiru, Shirin Raza and Daniel Gahr have been interested in developing a new outlet for their creativity for some time. The idea for launching their first business in 2019 emerged from a deep love for music and a desire to create a space…
Tony Beaman was at a crossroads. He had just been laid off from his corporate job after a company acquisition, and despite his 20 years of experience in tech recruitment, staffing, and leadership, he felt like he was working toward a dead end. “I realized I was not going to achieve my career goals climbing…
Café El Patio is a casual community-based café founded by Allan Coello, located in East Oakland. Café El Patio serves single origin coffee that comes directly from a family member’s farm in Honduras.
After spending a year popping up around town and leasing kitchen space, Romney and Steven opened The Cook and Her Farmer in 2014. Through their partnership, they have grown The Cook and Her Farmer into the successful restaurant it is today and contributed to the thriving of Swan’s Market as part of the Old Oakland Renaissance.
“I love living in East Oakland,” he said. “I knew that I wanted to help people achieve their fitness goals, and I saw an opportunity to improve on existing services,” explained Matt.
Bar Shiru is a high-fi vinyl listening music bar in Oakland, and the first of its kind in the Bay Area. It was founded by business partners Shirin Raza and Daniel Gahr, who also happen to be wife and husband.
Before they launched Hive the Place to Bee, Bree and Calanit noticed that they had to leave their neighborhood to find high quality food and drinks. As local residents, they started the café because they wanted to provide high quality food and drinks to their community.
