The Alice Collective

Cafe and Commissary Kitchen From the Hall SF Founder Opens in Oakland | Eater SF

"Opened in Oakland at 272 14th Street on the corner of Alice Street, the Alice Collective occupies a 3,600-square-foot space in the historic Holmes Book Co. building and combines a public-facing cafe, a commissary kitchen, and an evening event space with in-house catering. I see the project aiming to stay active by day (the cafe is open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday–Friday) with executive chef Christine Wells serving salads, soups, and tartines, and by night as an event venue supported by catering—while Oakland-based Red Bay Coffee supplies coffee and espresso and beverage consultant Nancy Chung oversees beer, wine, and cocktails. Ted Wilson, whose catering company Metal & Match is the commissary's main tenant and the driving force behind the project, rents remaining kitchen space to auxiliary tenants (creating what he calls a "tight-knit little eco system"), and one tenant so far is Oak and Fig Baking Co., whose savory hand pies and other baked goods are offered on-site. Rather than positioning the space as an "incubator," Wilson emphasizes using extra resources to boost community and make it easier for other food entrepreneurs." - Caleb Pershan