SF New Developments

San Francisco Business Times - February 20, 2007 by Ryan Tate

Trendy San Francisco restaurant Ozumo confirmed previously-reported plans to open a location in Oakland’s Uptown district.

Ozumo, which sells cocktails and gourmet Japanese food, will open an 8,000 square foot location anchoring the ground floor of Broadway Grand, a 420-unit condominium project from Pleasanton developer Signature Properties.

Ozumo’s area neighbors include Luka’s Taproom and Uptown Bar, both of which opened within the past three years. Luka’s has signed a lease to open a wine bar across the street, and near Uptown the team behind Oakland Mexican restaurant Doña Tomas are putting in a cocktail lounge and restaurant focused on California cuisine.

“They are in there (Uptown) first with some big guns,” Ozumo owner Jeremy James told the Business Times in January, when the paper first reported Ozumo was likely to go into Broadway Grand. “They want to create (room for) residents and amenities.”

“We’re a well established, highly thought of San Francisco restaurant. Opening a second store in Oakland would be very comforting … It always feels good being wanted.”

The Oakland Ozumo, James said, would offer an “Izakaya” menu, named after Japanese drinking houses that also serve food, not unlike tapas at bars in Spain.

The restaurant will be potentially more profitable and less risky that another venture in San Francisco would have been, James said. Managers and senior chefs from San Francisco will be a short BART ride or drive away from Oakland when needed…[continue to article]