Lakeshore Cafe Shutters After 22 Years in Oakland

Say goodbye to another beloved breakfast spot, Lakeshore Cafe in Oakland. They originally opened 22 years ago and have been a go-to for many folks from The Town as the best place for a full breakfast that won’t break the bank. It’s their last weekend in business. In an Instagram post announcing the closure, the owners of Lakeshore Cafe mention that May 27th will be their last day of business.

Lakeshore Cafe in Oakland Closing After 22 Years – photo from Google Maps

Their announcement reads, “Deal Lakeshore Cafe Customers: Lakeshow Cafe will be permanently closing on Monday, May 27th, 2024. Thank you for your patronage over the past 22 (yes, twenty-two!) years. We have been honored to be part of this community and incredibly grateful for your support throughout the years, and we want to assure you that this decision was not taken lightly.  A new restaurant will be opening soon at this location. We hope that you make them feel as welcome as you have made us feel over the past 2 decades. We wish them the best of luck!” Signed by the team at Lakeshore; owners David Saidian, Mohammed Haghighi and all the staff.”

Lakeshore Cafe Closing – image from their Instagram account @lakeshore_cafe_oakland

Who will take the place of Lakeshore Cafe & Why Are They Leaving?

Having been voted “Best Brunch” multiple times over the past two decades, Lakeshore has set a high bar for delivering that warm, at-home feeling to its customers. So far, Lakeshore staff have kept pretty quiet about who will be taking over the space but there is a sign posted about the new ownership which sites “Lucky Peach LLC” as the new owner (see photo below by urge2virg on Reddit discussing the closure)

Image Inside Lakeshore Cafe – creative commons image from The Menu

I haven’t heard of Lucky Peach LLC, (although I’m familiar with the famed magazine Lucky Peach which went out of business years ago) but I have it on good authority that there will be a new tenant in this space soon, and that the neighborhood will be excited about it, but more on that in June…

So, why is Lakeshore leaving? We reached out to the team at Lakeshore Cafe and haven’t heard back yet. While the team themselves are keeping publicly quiet, I’ve heard from other restaurant owners in Oakland that they believe it’s likely something as simple as a retirement and nothing pointing to crime or some nefarious reason. Whatever the cause, they will be missed. On their Instagram announcement, regular customers are wishing everyone at Lakeshore well in their transition and saying goodbye.

Here’s one comment from a Lakeshore patron on IG:

“You will be so missed! I have been enjoying Lakeshore Cafe for 20 years since I was in college and have so many fond memories there. ❤️ Thank you so much for the many mimosas and delicious breakfasts I have enjoyed and for being such a great neighborhood restaurant! 👏 Job well done!” says @ashlish on their Instagram announcement.

Transfer of ownership notice for Lakeshore Cafe to Lucky Peach LLC – photo by urge2virg on Reddit

So long Lakeshore, and thanks for all the great meals over the years!