Oakland’s Grand Fare Market Shutters Permanently

In a sad and final turn for the ambitious Grand Fare Market, the 4,500-square-foot food hall in Oakland with a combination market, and café, it is now officially closed. It’s been a dramatic year for the market, with already one closure and reopen, but now it officially ends in a permanent shutter.

“I don’t regret any of it,” owner Doug Washington told Eater SF. “We’ve had a great time getting to know our neighbors, and now we're going to take some time off.” He pointed to not enough volume to sustain the cost of doing business in the Bay Area, and does not anticipate attempting to reopen elsewhere.

Washington opened Grand Fare in October of 2015, then shut the operation down just two months later, citing operation costs as “simply too much” to keep it going, though impractical choices like only offering uncovered outdoor seating pointed to a different kind of problem. Then, in March 2016 came news of a rebirth that would incorporate certain changes to hopefully ensure success. Finally, late July brought the market’s revival, when it officially reopened to the public. Now, just three months later, Grand Fare has shuttered for the last time.

Brothers and Sisters flower shop, which Washington’s wife and co-owner Freya Prowe runs, will stay open Tuesdays through Sundays, as it operates on a different lease. The duo will try to find a subtenant for the rest of the now-empty space.

Ellen Fort contributed reporting to this article.

• All Coverage of Grand Fare Market [Eater SF]
• Splash Pad Newsletter — November 2016 [Splash Pad]