EQUATOR COFFEE | OAKLAND, CA

In this project, a small unsightly parking lot behind a building owned by HP Investors was transformed into a hip gathering space. The vacant parking lot fronted a major thoroughfare in an area undergoing rapid redevelopment near Lake Merritt in Oakland.

The vision was to create an outdoor social space for local residents to come and enjoy a cup of sustainably sourced coffee from Equator Coffee or a healthy fresh organic treat from Urban Remedy. Not only did this tiny urban project help to transform the neighborhood, but it also provided an opportunity for two Bay Area favorite brands to expand into Oakland.

We were delighted to see that the Urban Remedy container has since been transformed into another expanding local food business, Avotoasty, enabling a minority, woman-owned business to open a second location.