Oakland’s Restaurant Scene Is Swimming in Praise, But Struggling to Stay Afloat

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KQED

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.2 • 726 Ratings

🗓️ 12 May 2025

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Oakland’s restaurant industry is a conundrum. It’s been celebrated as the best restaurant city in the country. But restaurateurs almost universally say they are struggling to make ends meet. As part of our series about how the pandemic changed us, 5 years on, we spotlight Oakland to look at whether the long trudge to pandemic recovery for restaurants will ever end. We talk with restaurant owners and industry experts about the big successes and major struggles of Oakland’s food scene and what it means to support a restaurant. Guests: Elena Kadvany, food reporter, San Francisco Chronicle Paul Iglesias, chef and owner, Parché; co-owner, Jaji Christ Aivaliotis, owner, Lil Hill Lounge; former owner, Palmetto and Kon-Tiki Stella Dennig, co-owner, Daytrip Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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1:51.8	Oakland was awarded Best Food City in the Country by Condi Nast Traveler for the inventive, interesting, diverse food options across the town.
1:56.4	At the same time, some of the city's most celebrated restaurants have gone out of business
	...

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