Oakland’s Home of Chicken and Waffles has closed after more than two decades, with customers, former staff and family members gathering on 31 August to mark the final day of the Black-owned restaurant.
Founder Derreck Johnson was at the Jack London Square-area venue as loyal customers said goodbye to the late-night food and drink stop, which became known for its Southern comfort food and its links to Oakland’s political and cultural life.
The restaurant first opened in Oakland in 2004 and operated for nearly 20 years at 444 Embarcadero West before moving in 2024 to 247 Fourth Street.
Over the years, it welcomed politicians, celebrities, athletes and local residents. Among its high-profile visitors were former presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris.
Johnson has credited the mentors who helped him establish the business and said he was proud of the staff whose work had sustained it. He has not publicly given a specific reason for the closure.
The restaurant’s role in the community extended beyond serving meals. It employed formerly incarcerated people, some of whom went on to become managers and homeowners, and hosted holiday food distributions for Oakland residents.
Johnson previously said he wanted to create a place where people could “come home to good food and people”. He is now preparing for what he has described as the next chapter after the closure of the landmark Home of Chicken and Waffles.
