Fresh Favorites | BARTable East Bay New Businesses

Coffee and doughnuts is a perfect pair and you can find them at Orbit. Photo courtesy of Yelp. 

Out-and-about summer exploring becomes a lot easier (and a lot more exciting) with the help of so many new places revealing their faces throughout the Bay Area. Don’t just press replay on what you already know, when you can give something else a try and see how the dice rolls.

Enjoy the change of season with a change of scene by checking out some retail and restaurant  spots where the grand-opening dust hasn’t even settled. Old school things are all the rage lately: vinyl, donuts, books and organic foods are finding fresh homes at the following new BARTable businesses in the East Bay.

Bandcamp Store by 19th St/Oakland 

Vinyl records, listening booths and a stage for live shows make up the new online-to-brick-and-mortar Bandcamp Store in Uptown Oakland. Because sometimes you want to do more than simply click on a link alone in your room or on your smartphone. The art-filled hub with the reputable name is luring music lovers and loungers to its location next to 19th St/Oakland Station. Step into a sleek space to sit back and relax as you discover your new favorite artists in the company of fellow audiophiles. A special highlight of the modern, spacious and decked-out (fittingly) startup-style environment is that you can catch a First Friday concert. 

Shadowlands Bookstore & Cafe by Rockridge

Don’t let your Kindle kill your love of bookstores. Shadowlands Bookstore & Café has become an instant hit with locals in Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood. Soak up the lines of your favorite wordsmith as you simmer on a coffee, smoothie or small bite at this cafe, bookstore and library on College Avenue. The cozy gathering space is also home to the Casual Book Club Friday meetups, the #NotUs Community Roundtable discussions and the Sunday Civic Literacy Forum. Plenty to do and see, or just be with your local community, at Shadowlands. This bookstore and cafe is a 10-minute walk from Rockridge on College Ave. 

Orbit Coffee & Donuts by West Oakland

When you need a sugar kick with your caffeine fix, Orbit Coffee & Donuts is now happy to oblige. This blue-and-white minimalist space is located just a couple of blocks from West Oakland Station and is home to that tried-and-true classic morning pairing. But there’s more than just the selection of quality donuts made from impressive ingredients (try the dark chocolate donut!) and coffee pours; fresh coconut water, breakfast sandwiches and grilled sandwiches round out the simple but satiating menu that many are finding to be...out of this world. Orbit is a five-minute walk from West Oakland on 7th St. 

Looking for more fresh favorites? Check out the new businesses in San Francisco we are loving.