Casual bar and restaurant Duchess, which opened in December 2016 to serve all-day pub fare to Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood, has closed. Owners Caroline Conner and Chris Strieter announced the news on their website, hinting at a “different concept” after renovations to the space at 5422 College Avenue.
Eater SF has reached out to Strieter for more information; Conner, who was an assistant pastry chef at Nopa before opening Duchess, is seemingly no longer associated with the project, having decamped to Europe to pursue a master’s degree in wine.
Here was the duo’s note to the public:
To our neighbors:
Thank you for sharing so many wonderful memories with us. We’ve enjoyed the past year, but sadly, Duchess will not be able to reopen its doors in 2018. We’ve been fortunate to work alongside a talented team and are incredibly grateful for their help. We truly love the location, space and our extended community.
The Duchess space will be renovated and a different concept is anticipated to launch later this year. We look forward to welcoming you back to 5422 College Avenue very soon.
Thank you once again for all your support.
Caroline Conner & Chris Strieter
Duchess won fans for its comfort food like fried chicken sandwiches from opening chef Candice Caris and, more recently, chef Dennis Imazumi. The space sported two levels with a bar on each, and gained particular popularity for its cocktails, like one standout with duckfat-washed whiskey, even winning an award from San Francisco magazine for the best cocktails of 2017.
Stay tuned for news as to what will succeed Duchess.