Pomella, a spot for bright and affordable California-Israeli fare in Oakland, will close at the end of May.
The reason given was lagging finances, chef and owner Mica Talmor wrote in an email: “Unfortunately, Pomella has not been able to sustain itself financially for a while now, and it is truly with a broken heart that I am forced to shut it down.”
Pomella opened in 2020 just as the chaos of the pandemic was falling upon world and its suddenly imperiled restaurants. “Prepared meals and grab-and-go was something I was already going to do,” Talmor told the Mercury News at the time. “It’s not exactly the way I planned to do it, but we want to make this very community-driven and give people what they need right now.”
For five years, Pomella did just that at its digs on Oakland’s Piedmont Ave. The kitchen became known for its flavorful and takeout-friendly mezze plates, especially the silky-smooth chickpea dip from “hummus queen” Talmor. In 2022, the restaurant landed on the Mercury News’ Best 50 Restaurants in the Bay Area, whose authors praised its dozens of dishes that “can be mixed, matched, slipped into wraps or salads, and doused with a rainbow of sauces, from tzatziki to harissa to fermented mango.”
But press accolades and neighborhood acclaim wasn’t enough, according to Talmor.
“Just like you, we’ve been experiencing rising costs: the cost of goods and ingredients, occupancy costs, labor costs… breathing costs,” she wrote. “At the same time our revenue has been shrinking due to all of us feeling squeezed and cutting back. I tried to hold on as things were getting a little better at the end of last year. But 2025’s epic storm leaves me with empty coffers and little hope for change in the near future.”
The restaurant’s last day will be May 26 on Memorial Day, the chef announced on Instagram, adding that she has “no idea” what might come next for her and the Pomella team. Up until the day of closing, the kitchen expects to roll out a few special events and items, said Talmor.
“It is my hope that you all come and eat and drink and take some extra stuff home and tip our crew a little extra.”