August restaurant closures take a bite out of Berkeley

"08.21.25: Japanese restaurant Sugata has closed its doors after nearly 45 years in business. The family-owned restaurant, located in Albany, offered a diverse range of Japanese fare, spanning sushi and sashimi to ramen bowls and bento boxes. Yelp has listed the business as closed, and its website appears to have been taken offline. Sugata was located at 1105 Solano Ave. (at San Pablo Ave.) in Albany."

"07.31.25: Following more than three decades of serving orange rice flour pancakes and cheesy potato pancakes, Rick & Ann's, the beloved brunch and breakfast icon, is bidding farewell for good on August 30th. The cherished Berkeley institution has been a core staple of the tree-lined, shaded corner across from the Claremont Hotel since 1989. With retirement on the horizon, owner and co-founder Ann Lauer chose not to renew the lease in August. "I've enjoyed seeing customers that I held as children, now with their families and some as grandparents. I've loved being a part of so many charities and community events that support schools and many children's organizations," Lauer wrote on the restaurant's website, announcing the closure. However, not all is lost: Lauer said her catering business, Ann's Catering, will move to a commercial kitchen and live on as part of the restaurant's legacy. Rick & Ann's was located at 2922 Domingo Ave. in Berkeley."

"08.15.25: After 24 years in business, grocery store the Spanish Table closed its doors Aug. 17, citing inhospitable business conditions as a result of the 15% tariff on European imports imposed by President Trump. Nosh was t"

Sugata, a family-owned Japanese restaurant at 1105 Solano Ave. in Albany, closed after nearly 45 years; Yelp lists it as closed and the website is offline. Rick & Ann's in Berkeley announced a final closing date of August 30th after more than three decades of service; owner and co-founder Ann Lauer elected not to renew the lease and plans to continue Ann's Catering from a commercial kitchen. The Spanish Table grocery closed Aug. 17 after 24 years, attributing the shutdown to inhospitable business conditions tied to a 15% tariff on European imports imposed by President Trump.

Read at The Oaklandside