Oakland’s acclaimed Shakewell, a Mediterranean restaurant with “Top Chef” roots, will serve its last meals Saturday, Aug. 31.
“The reality of these times has caught up with us,” owner Soroush Ghaderi and the Shakewell team wrote to customers in an email announcement this past weekend. “Despite everything we’ve tried, we just can’t make the numbers work anymore.”
Shakewell was founded in 2014 by two alums of Bravo TV’s food programming, Jen Biesty of “Top Chef” and Tim Nugent of “Top Chef: Desserts.” Both had previously been chefs at Scala’s Bistro in San Francisco.
Ghaderi has owned and operated the restaurant for the past year.
“Shakewell was born from the love and dedication of Tim and Jen, who nurtured it for nine amazing years,” the note read. “When Soroush took over, with Tim’s ongoing support, we held on through so many challenges, determined to keep this place alive. … This isn’t the outcome any of us wanted. We’ve fought so hard because Shakewell has been a home, a gathering place, a special little corner of the world where we could all come together.
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“Our staff — Chefs Holly & Zule, FOH Manager Nicole, Bar Manager Michael and countless others — have poured their hearts into this place, and the thought of closing our doors is truly devastating. But we’ve reached a point where we have no other choice.”
During the restaurant’s final days, Shakewell will present live music on Aug. 21, 22 and 28 and host a wine-tasting event on Aug. 27.
Although food service will end Aug. 31, the Shakewell team said they will keep the bar open beyond that date “as we try to figure out what the future holds.”
Details: Open Tuesday-Sunday at 3407 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland; www.shakewelloakland.com
