Oakland sports fans packed the sidewalks Thursday as one of the city’s most beloved sports bars made its return.
Soccer fans aren’t just cheering for their favorite team — they’re celebrating the return of a beloved Oakland sports bar. Less than an hour after opening its doors, the Oakland Athletic Club hit capacity, with fans lining up down the block to get inside.
“We missed them and we want them to stay open and stay open in business as long as they can. For us, it was to show support for the World Cup but also for them,” said Fracisco Alvarado of Oakland.
“The spirit of Oakland is the spirit of the tailgate,” Oakland Athletic Club co-owner Angela Tsay said.
The bar closed in February, but a new local ownership group made up of Oakland business owners stepped in to bring it back. Tsay, who also owns Oaklandish, explains they want to keep Oakland’s sports tradition alive while building a year-round gathering place for the community.
“I think it’s important for people to see that there are still people who are willing to make a small bet on Oakland, who believe in Oakland, we want to continue to invest in Oakland and the more we do that, the more it will attract other people and entrepreneurs and investors,” Tsay said.
Opening day coincided with the start of the FIFA World Cup, turning the bar’s comeback into a celebration for both soccer fans and Oakland supporters.
“It’s very joyful, people greeting each other, like none of us know each other but we are introducing ourselves and just talking about football,” Alvarado said.
The Oakland Athletic Club is also the official bar partner of the Oakland Roots and Soul and the Oakland Ballers. While sports is still the main attraction, owners say they’ve rebuilt the kitchen and revamped the food and drink menu, hoping the food becomes as much of a draw as the action on the screens.
“We want it to be somewhere that you come here, even not just on game day but for lunch or gameday with a friend, and that the food is a draw,” Tsay said.
Visit Oakland CEO Peter Gamez believes the reopening will help drive more visitors to Oakland for day and overnight stays and sends a positive message about the city’s future.
“They believe in the town,” Gamez said. “I think other business owners see hope there, they see opportunity and they see a light at the end of the tunnel that our downtown is revitalizing.”