Understory, a worker-owned restaurant in Oakland known for its diasporic comfort food and inclusive pay-what-you-can model, faced challenges but has now found a new space after months of uncertainty. The collective is expanding its operations and has hired additional worker-owners, showcasing its commitment to community support and empowerment. Founding member Florencio Esquivel highlighted that the decision to close previously was to preserve the restaurantâs values rather than due to economic failure, reinforcing the idea of worker solidarity and resilience.
So when the collective decided to depart its 8th St. location last June, plans for a reopening were already germinating.
Now, after roughly eight months hosting pop-ups and catering in the interim, the Understory team has a new space to call home: a colorful, mural-clad building in the heart of the Fruitvale district.
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