Update 8/22/16: This article has been updated to reflect new information from the city permit service center.
Two longtime local staples — vegan restaurant Herbivore and candy store Michelle’s Yogurt and Sweets — have closed in Berkeley.
After 10 years of business, Downtown Berkeley’s Herbivore announced its closure in a post on the business’ Facebook page Thursday.
According to the Facebook post, the restaurant’s other location in San Francisco will remain open for a couple of weeks. Berkeleyside has reported, however, that the San Francisco restaurant also appears to be closed.
Herbivore, located at 2451 Shattuck Ave., is not the first longstanding vegan business to close in Berkeley. In December, Cafe Gratitude closed after nearly a decade of service on Shattuck Avenue.
The owner of Herbivore could not be reached for comment, and it’s unclear what the space will become.
Michelle’s Yogurt and Sweets opened in 1997 and closed several months ago according to multiple workers in the Telegraph Channing Mall, where the store was located. According to city permit records, a new tea and yogurt shop is headed to the space the store formerly occupied.
Located at 2430 Durant Ave., the space is currently being renovated, and city permits show that the space is owned by the university. The property, however, is actually owned by the city of Berkeley, said city permit service center coordinator Pamela Johnson, adding that the contractor of the permits erroneously named the university as the owner.
Neither a university real estate spokesperson nor the owner of Michelle’s Yogurt and Sweets could be reached for comment, but according to a worker in the mall, the closure is due to the owner’s retirement.