How this Oakland cupcake company survived the pandemic
Reflecting on James and the Giant Cupcake’s tenth year in business.
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Landlord delayed telling West Berkeley businesses about toxic air reading
The Gilman District landlord was also issued a notice of violation for failing to perform required monthly air quality sampling.
California Theatre closing: Landmark won’t reopen Berkeley’s movie palace
Landmark Theatres is vacating the century-old theater. One of downtown’s most distinctive buildings now faces an uncertain future.
Commercial development
Bayer, city agree on $33M community benefits package tied to big expansion
The benefits are part of a broader 30-year development agreement for a major expansion at Bayer’s West Berkeley campus.
Grayson Street proposal could add to West Berkeley’s life sciences boom
The project is planned for the site of Berkeley’s Grayson Street homeless shelter. City officials have long known the site was only temporary.
16-story Residence Inn to open this October in downtown Berkeley
The Marriott-branded hotel will become the third-tallest building in Berkeley and include 331 extended-stay suites, 15,000 square feet of meeting space and a rooftop bar and restaurant.
Berkeley will soon be home to a major research and development center
Developers will construct two modern buildings and add a strolling path with native plants along Bolivar Drive by Aquatic Park.
Ferry service, new hotel, pier rebuild among ideas to revive Berkeley Marina
Large-scale ferry service could begin in 2026 under the current timeline. A community survey about the future of the marina runs through March 12.
Nosh
Berkeley company invents first machine to save beer byproducts from the trash heap
The Ninth Street food company turns brewery waste into pasta, cookie dough and more.
June’s Pizza was an Oakland success story, until the health department shut it down
The wildly popular pizza spot operated completely without permits until Alameda County’s health department took notice.
Staffing issues shutter Berkeley’s popular Imperial Tea Court
Owner Roy Fong says that employees were reluctant to come work at his longstanding business.
Coronavirus
Berkeley’s vaccination requirement goes into effect Friday
Proof of vaccination will be required at restaurants, bars, clubs, gyms, dance and yoga studios, and events with at least 1,000 attendees. Also: theaters where food or drinks are sold.
Berkeley to require proof of vaccination at indoor restaurants, bars, gyms and more
Workers at those businesses and several others will also be required either to get vaccinated or receive weekly COVID-19 tests.
So long, social distancing: What ‘back to normal’ day was like in Berkeley
With the mask mandate lifted, businesses are weighing employee and customer safety in deciding new rules.
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The Local Butcher founders are turning over the successful shop to their workers
For business owners who want to retire or change focus, transitioning to employee ownership offers a roadmap to resiliency.
The Chinese workers who fought discrimination at an 1880s West Berkeley soap factory
The Standard Soap Works factory housed its Chinese workers in racially segregated shacks before deciding it wanted to “fill their places with white labor.”
All the East Bay restaurants that closed in September
All the restaurants of note that closed this September in Berkeley, Oakland and beyond.
Shop Talk: Eudemonia, hot spot for fantasy games, closes; sneaker store comes to Telegraph
Eudemonia, a popular tabletop card store that had been a refuge for Berkeley gamers of all ages, closed after 18 years.
