Bay Area icon Zendaya was in Rome over the weekend for the premiere of the actress’s highly anticipated dark romantic comedy, “The Drama,” co-starring Robert Pattinson.
Away from the red carpet, a gaggle of fans swarmed the “Euphoria” star, who was dressed in a deep-cut black gown. In an Instagram post, she is seen signing autographs when an American fan asks her to share her favorite place to eat in Oakland.
“In Oakland, my favorite place to eat is Arizmendi,” Zendaya responds matter-of-factly, adding that the bakery also has a location in San Francisco. In an interview with SFGATE, a spokesperson for the worker-owned cooperative confirmed that the “Dune” actress, who is from Oakland, frequents the Lakeshore location “when she’s in town.”
“Oh my God, we were really excited to see it,” Arizmendi co-owner and social media manager Christine Belardo told SFGATE over the phone. Belardo said she didn’t know the name of the customer who sent the video via Instagram – only that the person messaged them and said they had met Zendaya and asked her the question.
The sender was just a fan lucky enough to be there and have a “quick interaction” with the actress, Belardo said. But it filled the owners with pride, she continued, to “feel the love” from a Bay Area icon – all the way from Europe, no less.
“We love it when she [Zendaya] comes into the bakery,” said Belardo, who hasn’t met Zendaya but confirmed that the bakery’s co-owners have. “She likes to get our scones when she’s not getting pizza.”
Arizmendi is a worker-owned bakery with four locations in the Bay Area. In addition to scones and pizza, it’s known for sourdough bread, muffins, croissants, cookies and more. The Oakland location is the first and will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2027.
“The Drama” follows a couple facing a crisis days before their wedding. It is scheduled to hit theaters nationwide April 3.
The Arizmendi on Lakeshore Avenue in Oakland turns 30 in 2027. (Ann S/Via Yelp)
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This article originally published at Zendaya calls out ‘favorite place to eat’ in Oakland during ‘The Drama’ premiere.