Savoring the Future: East Oakland's Culinary Renaissance
If you drive by the former Holiday Fish restaurant on International Blvd near 82nd Ave. in East Oakland, the outside has been wrapped in a shell of plywood, metal bars, and graffiti for years.
Even though it’s locked up and closed today, the famous eatery still holds a special place in the memories of longtime East Oakland residents.
“It was the place where everyone came to order takeout or dine in to celebrate birthdays, holidays, or big events,” said Ari Curry, as he stood outside Holiday Fish recently and recalled eating at the restaurant as a boy on Sunday afternoons after church. He could still recall his favorites in rapid fire: “Greens, fish, yams, mac and cheese, fried chicken, banana pudding.”
Now, more than a decade since it served its last slice of cobbler, Curry is among those with the non-profit Black Cultural Zone who are working to purchase and restore Holiday Fish into the neighborhood pride it once was – and turn it into an oasis where food and training for young food entrepreneurs of the future will thrive.
“When this model is successful here,” Curry said, “we will roll out similar ventures across the city.”
Black Cultural Zone is among the East Oakland organizations executing the Rise East initiative, a 10-year financial plan to invest in, and revitalize, a 40x40 block area of Deep East Oakland. Purchasing the Holiday Fish is just one of a number of new investments into the business corridor along International Blvd from 80th to 100th Ave. seeded with Rise East capital. Others include the BCZ’s Welcome Center and Roots’ Clean 360 warehouse that produces soaps and candles, to name a few.
“Our vision is to cultivate a vibrant ecosystem where culinary heritage meets entrepreneurial innovation,” said Carolyn “CJ” Johnson, CEO of Black Cultural Zone. “We’re empowering East Oakland’s youth to become the chefs and business leaders of tomorrow. We’re not just restoring a restaurant; we’re rebuilding opportunity, one plate at a time.
Beyond the dollars and cents, an anchor neighborhood restaurant like Holiday Fish can foster community and strengthen bonds among residents.
In today’s grab-and-go dining culture, Curry says the large space will accommodate a sizable dining area, as well as an updated kitchen that serves as a training ground for young chefs who want to learn cooking skills, but also build their business acumen.
“We see this as a space where a young person can come in to learn the entire restaurant business from front to back, and decide if they want to work as chefs or possibly start their own delivery business out of our kitchen,” Curry said. “We will give people the tools they need to start their own enterprise.”
For many of the young chefs, the first stop to sell their delectables may be at BCZ’s Akoma Market at Liberation Park, Curry said.
Liberation Park will also get redeveloped and revitalized into a market hall and cultural center with affordable housing. The location, which is the home of the Akoma Market, is well-known for supporting and launching entrepreneurs from the 40x40.
For now, the original Holiday Fish location is still in need of upgrades – work the BCZ plans to begin this year. The industrial-sized kitchen will allow for various catering operations and a range of food options, Curry said.
In the dining room, the menu will look familiar to longtime residents.
“The owners may have changed, but the food culture will stay the same,” Curry said.
