Recently shuttered Oakland dive bar Ruby Room is reopening under new ownership, according to Oaklandside.
New operator Dawit Kidane tells the journal, “My vision is to keep it the same. I’m not changing anything.” He adds, “It’s sad that a lot of places are closing around here.”
At 132 14th Street, Ruby Room is just down the street from Kidane’s Ethiopian restaurant Blue Nile — which he operates alongside his wife Gibtsawit Abrha — as well as establishments such as Mad Oak Bar ‘N’ Yard, the Oakland Public Library, and The Lake Chalet Seafood Bar & Grill.
For readers who are unfamiliar with Ruby Room, the bar was founded in 1999 and formerly described itself as a “compact, edgy hangout offering a selection of cocktails, beer & bar snacks, plus DJ music.”
“Everybody is welcome,” Kidane tells Oaklandside — “We are just trying to grow and be successful business owners.”
Ruby Room is slated to reopen in March.
