{"id":347888,"date":"2026-06-05T11:30:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T11:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/347888\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T11:30:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T11:30:08","slug":"malibus-burgers-vegan-smashburger-restaurant-to-close-in-oakland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/347888\/","title":{"rendered":"Malibu\u2019s Burgers, vegan smashburger restaurant, to close in Oakland"},"content":{"rendered":"

Malibu\u2019s Burgers, at 326 23rd St. in Uptown Oakland, is shutting down after Saturday, June 6. Owner Darren Preston announced the closure in an Instagram post<\/a> last week.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish I could say it was a hard decision, but it was actually pretty easy,\u201d Preston told the Chronicle.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lourdes \u201cLulu\u201d Marquez-Nau, Preston\u2019s mother and Malibu\u2019s Burgers chef, said operating a vegan restaurant can be a struggle in the Bay Area with an expensive plant-based inventory amid inconsistent sales. Casa Borinque\u00f1a, her vegan Puerto Rican restaurant<\/a>, was one of the multiple Saluhall concepts to close last year<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cVegan restaurants are closing left and right,\u201d Marquez-Nau said. Preston \u201cdid everything possible to try to stay open. It\u2019s just not in the cards.\u201d<\/p>\n

Preston added meat and cheese to the menu in January, hoping to boost sales. It was not enough to rejuvenate the business, he said, but for Malibu\u2019s final days, the restaurant has reverted back to its original vegan menu. Saturday night\u2019s service will wrap up with a comedy show by vegan comedian Steven Marcus Releford.<\/p>\n

Preston opened the first Malibu\u2019s Burgers in December 2020 after a number of years as a successful food truck. Former Chronicle critic Soleil Ho hailed its Tasha Grande plant-based burger<\/a>, modeled on a Big Mac, as having the \u201cample greasiness of an animal-based product.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Preston said that he\u2019s exploring opportunities that may allow him to resurrect at least some menu items from Malibu\u2019s. For now, he hopes to spend his break with his two small children \u2014 who are the primary reason he\u2019s stepping away, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a moment with my daughter that made me realize that the business is really affecting me,\u201d Preston said.<\/p>\n

Two weeks ago, Preston said, he missed an important moment with his daughter, who he said has autism and is nonverbal. While dealing with paperwork, his daughter repeatedly brought him bread and different toppings, such as peanut butter, cheese and mayo. It wasn\u2019t until later that night that he realized his daughter was attempting to communicate with him.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI was so distracted, I couldn’t see,\u201d Preston said. \u201cThat was the moment that I realized that I missed an opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n