Oakland Staple, Plank, Closes After 12 Years In Jack London Square

OAKLAND, CA — Plank, a popular eatery in Oakland's Jack London Square, has shuttered after 12 years.

Restaurant officials announced in a statement that Plank had served its last dish on Sunday, Aug. 2.

"It has been a memorable run for nearly 12 years since we first opened our doors in 2014," Plank said in a statement, thanking the city for embracing the eatery as "Oakland's own."\

"Persistent" and "significant" drop in sales, along with rising costs, made the business "no longer viable" and forced Plank to close, restaurant officials said.

Plank joins a growing list of Oakland eateries that have closed this year.

Pucquio, a popular Peruvian restaurant, abruptly closed its doors on Friday, after thirteen years in Oakland.

Wood Tavern, a beloved destination brasserie in Oakland's Rockridge neighborhood, announced last month that it will be closing at the end of the year.

Oakland restaurants are a revered food city, taking top honors as the "Best Food City" in the country for the last two years. How the closures of several beloved restaurants will affect the city's competitive and diverse food landscape is unclear.

While restaurants are closing, many others, such as Bolo's Bites, a new Uptown sandwich shop, are opening in their place.

Other beloved places that have faced uncertainty, such as Millennium, a longtime, critically acclaimed vegan restaurant, have taken to downsizing their operations to remain open.