Popular kebab restaurant The Kebabery recently closed its doors at its busy Market Street location in order to accommodate their expansion to a larger location at 2929 Shattuck Ave in Berkeley.
The Kebabery, which began as a casual sister restaurant to the popular wood-fire restaurant, Camino, opened as a standalone restaurant after Camino closed down in 2018. Camino owners Allison Hopelain and Russell Moore conferred with their chefs and determined that their specialized kebabs were the most popular items being served, and thus The Kebabery was born.
Starting out in a small building at Market Street, The Kebabery quickly grew into Oakland’s favorite kebab spot. As demand for the kebabs grew, so did the need for a space that could accommodate their popularity. Originally hoping to open a second location while preserving their Oakland storefront, complications from the pandemic dashed those hopes as Hopelain and Moore were forced to reconsider their expansion plans.
The new location, on Shattuck Ave in between Russel Street and Ashby Ave, is a significant upgrade from their previous operation. Nearly two and a half times the size of their previous location, the new Kebabery will feature a much larger kitchen, over 30 seats for indoor dining, and a side entrance that will enable them to partner with the pop-up bakery they previously worked with, Sesame Tiny Bakery. The larger kitchen will also enable the chefs to expand their menu to include new delicacies like tofu kebabs.
The Market Street Kebabery served its last kebab this Sunday, July 18th, so hungry locals are eager for news of the restaurant’s return. Patrons won’t have to wait too long thankfully, as Allison was able to confirm with What Now San Francisco that plans are in place to re-open in the late summer.
