On the last weekend of June, swarms of customers flocked to Jack London Square for fragrant cardamom lattes and slow-braised lamb wraps. It was the opening of Reem’s California, and lines at the popular cafe and bakery were nonstop, with over 200 flatbreads sold. It felt like a turning point for a neighborhood that’s struggled to find its footing over the past few years.
“Reem’s is a really community-based and community-rooted business,” said Reem’s co-founder Zaynah Hindi, business partner of famed James Beard Award finalist chef Reem Assil. “So the hope is that wherever we go, we bring our community with us, and that will lead to the blossoming of Jack London Square.”
Since late 2024, Jack London Square has lost some of its largest anchor businesses, including the Waterfront Hotel, Forge Pizza and Left Bank Brasserie. And potentially the biggest blow is yet to come: Bowling alley, arcade and restaurant Plank recently announced its plans to close Aug. 2 after nearly 12 years. In the greater neighborhood, Line 51 Brewing also revealed its forthcoming closure of July 19, following a string of other recent brewery and beer bar closures, from Dokkaebier to Tiger’s Taproom.
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