SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – Hi Felicia, an interactive fine-dining restaurant in Oakland that earned Michelin Guide attention, has abruptly closed after a devastating break-in.
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On Wednesday, owner and chef Imana posted a heartfelt farewell on the Hi Felicia Instagram, announcing the closure of the restaurant.
"Last night Hi Felicia was violently broken into," she wrote. "Our upstairs safe was thrown downstairs, glass completely shattered, our cash register was broken."
Hi Felicia opened its doors in May of 2022 on the corner of 23rd and Webster Streets as a self defined "vulgar" fine-dining experience with a focus on California comfort food.
The restaurant got its start as a dinner club hosted in Imana's apartment, but quickly grew to its current status. After working for years in luxury restaurants, Imana wanted to move on from the stuffy and pretentious.
"I specifically sought out Black and Brown people to give them this opportunity," Imana told KGO-TV in an interview in 2022. "It's so much more than just a restaurant obviously. It's a deep community project. I'm just starting and I just can't wait to see where it all goes."
However, the chef and owner said the break-in on Tuesday wasn't a coincidence — it was a message that this chapter of her life is over.
"To open a pop up in my apartment as a 24 year old, to owning a restaurant on the Michelin guide. I know I could keep going, and keep fighting, but I owe it to myself to honor my feelings, and I know that it is time," Imana wrote. "When one door closes another opens."
Moving forward, she plans to open a "sleek and sexy" wine bar in the Hi Felicia space, but will first take some much deserved time to herself.
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