Plank in Oakland's Jack London Square to close after nearly 12 years

Oaklands Plank to close, dealing another blow to Jack London Square

Plank, a longtime entertainment and dining destination in Oaklands Jack London Square, will close later this summer, citing declining sales and rising costs.

OAKLAND, Calif. - One of Jack London Square's most recognizable businesses is preparing to close its doors after nearly 12 years on the Oakland waterfront.

Plank announced it will shut down Aug. 2.

Declining sales, rising costs

What they're saying:

In a social media post, the restaurant and entertainment venue said persistent and significant declines in sales, combined with rising operating costs, have made the business no longer financially viable.

To our guests, neighbors, team members, event hosts, families, and friends — thank you for making plank a place filled with energy, celebrations, laughter, and memories. What started as 'Oakland’s own' became so much more because of this incredible community," Plank said in a statement. "From the bottom of our hearts — thank you for being part of the plank story."

Plank served as one of the square's anchor attractions, drawing families, tourists, sports fans and local residents to the waterfront.

The 50,000-square-foot venue became a popular gathering place for watching games and celebrating special occasions.

Many visitors expressed disappointment about the announcement.

"I was pretty bummed, actually, because we're locals here. We come here frequently to de-stress after work," said Oakland resident Sergio Brambila.

Others said the closure represents a broader challenge facing the area.

"It's going to be a big loss for this community, especially in Oakland," said John Nyamuzuwe, who works in Jack London Square. "I love to come to Plank with my children to come and watch the games, we've watched the Warriors games here."

Major loss for the waterfront

The closure follows other notable departures from Jack London Square, including Forge Pizza, Ginza Sushi and Left Bank Brasserie.

Ramiro Carabez, managing partner at Scott's Seafood, said the district has struggled to maintain the level of activity it once enjoyed.

"It's disheartening," Carabez said. "I've been here since 1992 and this used to be a vibrant place. It was hard to walk through the crowds of people, but it slowly but surely has been changing drastically in the last few years. Forget it, we lost the hotel, we lost many restaurants around, now we're losing Plank. You take a stroll around the square, it's a ghost town."

Carabez attributed the challenges to a combination of factors, including Oakland's reputation for crime, rising labor costs and increasing business expenses.

"I dont want to be the only one here. It's not a good place to be, I want it to be thriving, I want more restaurants to come," he said. 

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Recent opening nearby

Local perspective:

Despite the closure, some residents remain hopeful that recent investments in the area could help revitalize the waterfront. The recent opening of Dave & Buster's nearby has generated optimism among some visitors.

"Oakland just needs change, new businesses, new faces," said Tianta Carnegie of Oakland. "I think Dave and Buster's is bringing that to Oakland."

Dave & Buster's celebrated its grand opening in the area earlier this year, offering a similar mix of dining and games.

Business owners are also calling for greater collaboration between the city, the Port of Oakland and merchants to help strengthen the district and support existing businesses.