If you’re still waiting for Popoca to open, you’re not alone. Many outlets announced last year that Chef Anthony Salguero’s Salvadoran pop-up was going brick-and-mortar in the Dimond District by Spring 2022, but that obviously has not been the case. Instead, Popoca will be located at 906 Washington St. in Old Oakland, Salguero confirmed via phone call this week.
Citing “issues” with the Fruitvale Avenue space, Salguero tells What Now San Francisco that they ended up having to break the lease and look for a new home. He is pretty confident about the new space that they’re taking over now, adding that the landlord is making some building upgrades before they can start moving in.
Until then, Popoca will be hosting its last few pop-up events over the next week before taking a break in July. At that point, we’re sure that Salguero and the rest of the Popoca team will get some rest before they start ramping up preparations for their highly-anticipated restaurant.
Salguero adds that they are looking forward to working on every aspect of the restaurant, from systems to design. Last month, they put out a call for a General Manager and Bar Manager on their team and will likely be filling various front- and back-of-house positions over the next few months.
When all is said and done, Salguero anticipates debuting Popoca’s official brick-and-mortar by late fall of this year. Visit www.popocaoakland.com for more information and follow @popoca.oakland on Instagram for updates.
