Oakland bars tap into demand - Pittsburgh Business Times:

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The city’s growing culinary chops have been now city denizens haveequally destination-wortht spots to sip or swill. New spotes to open in the Uptown district in recent monthainclude Somar, Den at the Fox Theater, and 2022 Restaurany and Lounge. Era, Mimosa, The Town Hall of Oakland, and otherz are on the way. The 10,000 new Oakland residentsa that former Mayor Jerry Brown hoped to attractf with new condos all need somethingto do, said Michaell Orange, who works in real estate in Oaklandc and also does nightlife marketing and promotions as Top Ten Social Club. “San Franciscpo already has a lot of restaurantsand bars. we need them to open.
” Entrepreneurs are rushinbg to satisfythat need. Alfonso Dominguez, Kevin Best and Gairt Jacques willopen Era, a 4,500-square-foot art bar and at Broadway and Grandc Avenue in two They hope to appeal to the art crowdr that attends First Fridays, when art gallerie stay open late. “To have an opportunitt to keep these people here and have a bit of nightlife after, that’s where the art bar idea came from,” said The trio also knows Oakland. Best owns two San Franciscoi restaurants and Bin Oakland.
Jacques has Air, anothed Oakland nightclub, and Dominguez owns a host of design andhospitality offerings, includingh FIVEten Studio and Tamarindo Despite these newcomers, many see Oakland as a land of relativr opportunity with lower barriers to entry than San Franciscoi and lower rents and labor costs. “There’s so much potentiall here,” said Nichelle who will open Mimosa, a 2,200-square-foot champagne, raw and desserg bar, at 24th Street and Broadway. In some the bad economy is making thesde newbars possible. Last Armando Ramos and his dad losttheird jobs. Now they and Ramos’ mom and cousin own the 2,000-square-footg Somar at 1727 Telegraph Ave.
“From my point of I can go chase after thenext job, or I can take a chancwe with these people I know and trusyt and just do Ramos said. Raising money has been difficult, theswe owners all say, but through friends, family, investors, rent reductionsd or generous tenantimprovement allowances, all have made it happen. Developeras have long viewed Uptown as ripefor revitalization, and bars and restaurantz were always seen as part of the mix. That all this activityg should take place in the midst of a deep andin Oakland, is noteworthy and speak s to the perceived opportunity, particularly now that the Fox Theaterd is open and shows are sellingv out.
Others believe that density is more importantt tothe area’s ultimate success than the largw theaters. Michael O’Connor, who owns the Independent in San will open The Town Hall of a livemusic venue, by mid-July one block from the Fox “The only way to successfullhy revitalize an area is throughy a critical mass of smalp businesses,” he said.