Editor’s note: Nosh covers food and restaurant news across the East Bay, and each week we publish one article covering all the restaurant openings and one article covering closings. Have a tip for Nosh? Submit it here. Subscribing to the Nosh newsletter is the best way to stay up to date on all of the openings and closings, breaking news, deeper developments, and events in the East Bay food scene.
Berkeley restaurant closures
Guerilla Cafe
12.12.25: After two decades of serving as a hub for coffee, art exhibitions and performances, Berkeley’s Guerilla Cafe has closed. Guerilla Cafe, an early pioneer in the specialty coffee movement, began in 2006 as a joint venture between ceramicist Andrea Ali and the co-founders of Red Bay Coffee, Keba and Rachel Konte. “Cheers to all the first dates that met at Guerilla, to the endearing friendships that manifested here and the many good conversations had,” reads the note left in the papered-over front window. Guerilla Cafe was located at 1620 Shattuck Ave. (at Cedar Street) in Berkeley.
Standard Fare
12.05.25: Standard Fare, the iconic 11 year-old Berkeley bistro known and loved for its wholesome, seasonal veg-centered menus, is slated to close on Dec. 19. Chef and owner Kelsie Kerr announced on Instagram she’s closing up shop so she can retire. Standard Fare began as a humble counter for prepared takeaway meals before blossoming into a full-service kitchen, drawing lines out the door for its creative dishes like the lacinato kale and celery root sandwich and the caramelized onion galette with chicories. Standard Fare was located at 2701 8th St. (at Carleton St.) in Berkeley.
Oakland restaurant closures
Carbona Pizza
12.12.25: Carbona Pizza, the Detroit-style pizza joint run by the team behind Grand Lake Kitchen’s Dimond District restaurant, has shuttered. True to Detroit form, the pies were baked in a pan with garlic-infused oil to render a thick, crispy crust, then topped with Wisconsin brick cheese and housemade marinara. Carbona’s Google listing states it’s permanently closed, and online ordering is no longer available. Carbona Pizza was located at 2042 MacArthur Blvd. (at Dimond Avenue) in Oakland.
The Good Hop
12.19.25: A little over a year after original owner Melissa Myers sold the neighborhood beer bar and bottle shop the Good Hop to two of its best customers, it is closing its doors. The bar announced its closure on Instagram after more than a decade in Oakland.
Adam Clark, a former Good Hop bartender, and their partner, Monica White, a loyal regular at the Uptown Oakland bar and shop, took over the Good Hop from Myers in September 2024.
“We want to continue the incredible legacy that Melissa started,” White told Nosh at the time.
In the Instagram post, the couple cited “insurmountable challenges” as the reason for the closure.
“We will surely miss our little community that we are madly in love with. We are so grateful for everyone who supported us through the years and made this place what it became. Some of the best moments of our lives happened right here. This is so hard, the end of an era,” says the post. The final day of service is December 31. The Good Hop is located at 2421 Telegraph Ave. (at 24th St.) in Oakland.
Kien Svay Cafe
12.05.25: Cambodian outpost Kien Svay Cafe has announced plans to shut down this month, just six months after its grand opening in June. The casual joint was recently named one of the SF Chronicle’s best 25 restaurants of the moment and served Cambodian street food specialties like papaya salads, lort cha and beef stick combos. Kien Svay Cafe was located at 609 East 12th St. (at 6th Ave.) in Oakland.
McDonald’s
12.05.25: The Downtown Oakland McDonald’s location has closed permanently. KTVU reports that workers were given a mere 10 days’ notice before franchise owners announced the closure. In May, the store closed temporarily due to health code violations. McDonald’s was located at 1330 Jackson St. (at 14th St.) in Oakland.
Richmond restaurant closure
Open Air Coffee
12.24.25: Richmond’s outdoor coffee shop, Open Air Coffee, has officially shuttered as of Dec. 13, according to an announcement on Instagram.
Surrounded by flowers and greenery, the cafe was known for its lush, outdoor-only seating and rotating specialty drinks, like the orange zest mocha and honey lavender latte. Pastries like yuzu scones and mochi cakes were also popular. Open Air Coffee was located at 600 Hoffman Blvd. in Richmond.
