August 7, 2007

Berkeley: No More Lime Rickey Milkshakes And Egg Salad Sandwiches

Another venerable local business appears to have bitten the dust in Berkeley’s Elmwood neighborhood as the gentrification of College Avenue continues apace.

Ozzie’s, described as “the last soda fountain within a pharmacy in the Bay Area” on its surprisingly professional-looking website (a contrast to the decidedly shabby reality of the place of late), has shut up shop.

And, although this isn’t the first time Ozzie’s, which opened in 1921, has looked like it had served its last tuna melt and root-beer float, this time the closure feels more permanent

I have enjoyed grabbing lunch there, with children in tow, and with visitors from London especially, for whom a soda fountain is a relatively exotic concept (not that Ozzie’s actually features a real soda fountain — now that I would like to see).

And, even though the past year both Ozzie’s and the pharmacy in which it is housed have had a dejected appearance underscored by lackluster service, I can’t help feeling it only needed to find the right owner to breathe new life into what clearly used to be a spot with a fiercely loyal clientèle.

The house across the street from Ozzie’s is also in the doldrums — 2649 Russell went up for sale in February for $1.7m and has still not found a buyer. It has slipped off the MLS listings but a sign outside the 5-bed home suggests it’s still looking.