Local news sites indicate that a popular restaurant has unexpectedly closed and relocated to another Bay Area city.
La Perla Puerto Rican Cuisine, a popular Puerto Rican restaurant in the East Bay, has announced its impending closure in Oakland, signaling the end of an era for many local customers.
The restaurant, located at 3409 Fruitvale Ave., will serve its last supper on Saturday, November 30, before moving to a new location in Castro Valley.
In a touching letter posted on social media, La Perla expressed great gratitude to its fans, saying, “As we prepare to close our doors in Oakland, we wanted to take a minute to convey our sincerest gratitude for the love and support you’ve offered La Perla Puerto Rican Cuisine over the years.
Serving you in this lively community has been a tremendous privilege, and we will always treasure the memories and friendships we’ve formed here.”
This sentiment reflects the restaurant’s strong links with the community from its founding.
La Perla is relocating about 15 miles south to Castro Valley, where it will set up shop at the Castro Valley Marketplace, 3295 Castro Valley Blvd.
While a particular opening date has yet to be established, the marketplace expects La Perla to begin serving clients by the end of this year.
In a recent update, the restaurant published development videos of its new site on social media, eliciting excitement from fans eager for its return.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, when La Perla opened its physical facility in 2021, it became the first and only fully-fledged Puerto Rican restaurant in the East Bay.
Before establishing itself as a freestanding venue, La Perla began in 2017 by selling Puerto Rican cuisine from a nearby convenience store.
This remarkable transformation from a modest operation to a dedicated restaurant enabled La Perla to introduce a larger audience to Puerto Rico’s rich flavors and culinary traditions.
The closure of La Perla’s Oakland site is a huge loss to the local eating scene, which has grown to value the restaurant’s original food and welcoming atmosphere.
Many community residents have shown their support and recounted cherished recollections of their visits to the restaurant, emphasizing its significance as a cultural hub for Puerto Rican cuisine in the area.
As La Perla prepares for this transfer, the restaurant’s management and staff are focused on making a smooth transition to Castro Valley, where they expect to continue delighting customers with their signature menu items.
The community is excited about the reopening and looking forward to experiencing the bright flavors of Puerto Rican food in a new setting.