A storied hot dog chain from the East Bay is down to its last location. Top Dog closed its 14-year-old Oakland spot on Lakeshore Avenue following the end of its lease, leaving only the Berkeley flagship, which dates back to 1966. News of the closing first broke in October, when co-owner Renie Riemann told SFGATE that a series of robberies dissuaded it from staying. (The Chronicle and SFGATE are both owned by Hearst but operate separate newsrooms.)
Craft beer bar and bottle shop TheGood Hop in Uptown Oakland has ended after a decade in business, as East Bay Nosh first reported. In an Instagram farewell post, the business’ owners expressed their gratitude and said that current “unsurmountable challenges” ultimately forced the decision. The closing comes as the U.S. beer industry continues to decline.
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Ofena, an Italian restaurant from local chef Tim Humphrey and Tan Truong, a partner at upscale sushi spot Ju-Ni, has closed after two years. The San Francisco Business Times reported that the Parkside restaurant faced slow sales and rising costs. Its landlord filed a lawsuit after the restaurant’s operators accrued more than $40,000 in back rent.
East Bay Nosh reports that French-Vietnamese restaurant Vanessa’s Bistro in Berkeley closed in December after nearly 20 years. Co-owner Vi Nguyen told the outlet that the restaurant’s landlord did not renew the lease and that operating had become unsustainable.
A 50% drop in business spelled the end of La Perla Taqueria in San Jose’s east side after 41 years of preparing enchiladas, chicken mole and margaritas. Owner Jose Huitron told the San Jose Spotlight that costs had gotten too high, with rent and utilities now topping $15,000 per month. The restaurant closed on Dec. 29…