Oakland regulars and tourists will no longer be able to savor favorites like the Brown Sugar Kitchen’s signature dishes, like the buttermilk fried chicken or the bacon-cheddar scallion biscuits.
Celebrity Chef Tanya Holland told Oaklandside that she will not re-open her flagship restaurant at 2295 Broadway as she had hoped. The restaurant, which opened three years ago, closed before Christmas.Holland said closing the restaurant was just another part of her journey, but her restaurant faced several challenges, besides the pandemic.
The celebrity chef said her restaurant was undercapitalized and sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last May in an attempt to stabilize its finances. Holland also cited higher rents and crime at her Uptown Oakland eatery. The pandemic forced Brown Sugar Kitchen to offer takeout meals and outdoor dining.
Holland opened her original restaurant in West Oakland in 2008. SF GATE reported that she opened a second restaurant in the Ferry Building in 2019, but higher rents led to its closing in less than a year.
