The Athletic Club Oakland closed in February, with lingering pandemic effects and the departure of professional sports teams cited as contributing factors. Six Oakland residents are reopening the venue at 59 Grand Ave near Lake Merritt under the name Oakland Athletic Club. The owners say they could not accept the block staying dark and decided to invest in Oakland after the closure on Super Bowl Sunday. They plan to be operational in time for the World Cup starting June 11 in Mexico City. The sports-bar experience will largely remain, including screens, sound, energy, and supporter groups. Changes include a revamped food program for both game-day visitors and everyday diners, a new drinks program, and added private-events and VIP mezzanine rooms.
""We're six Oakland residents who couldn't watch this block stay dark," they write. "When the Athletic Club Oakland closed on Super Bowl Sunday, we mourned the loss alongside all of you. Then we made some calls. Then we made a decision to bet on Oakland.""
""The sports-bar soul, the screens, the sound, the energy, the supporter groups that made this room theirs - all of it stays," the owners write. "To the 68s, East Bay Gooners, Dub Nation: your home base is still here. The room where rival fans shared a toast. That doesn't go away.""
"There is one small change - the name has been rejiggered to be the Oakland Athletic Club. But aside from that, a lot of stuff will remain the same, including the pain and joy of Oakland's sports drama, psychically ingrained in the walls. (Maybe they should burn some sage for that.)"
"Among the few things that will change is a revamped food program that's aimed not just toward sportos and game-day visitors but also toward everyday diners. There will be a new drinks program, plus a private-events room and a VIP room in the mezzanine."
Read at The Mercury News
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