Old Oakland
Old Oakland is a privately held operator of a 10-building historic Victorian retail and dining destination in downtown Oakland, leasing 70,000+ SF of retail and office space, running the nation's oldest open-air farmer's market, and hosting events for tenants, visitors, and the local community.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersOakland, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Old Oakland does
Old Oakland (legal entity Psai Old Oakland Assoc., LLC) is a privately held commercial real estate and mixed-use destination operator located at 9th and Washington in downtown Oakland, California. The asset comprises 10 meticulously restored Victorian buildings spanning two city blocks, including over 70,000 square feet of retail space, and is described as the largest preserved block of Victorian buildings on the West Coast. The property is located within the Downtown Business Improvement District, one block from the 12th Street/City Center BART station.
The company monetizes the asset through four primary lines: (1) retail and office leasing to a curated mix of local and national tenants including Blue Bottle, Sweetgreen, Square Pie Guys, Sante Adairius, Umami Mart, and others; (2) event venue rentals across indoor and outdoor spaces (block parties, concerts, weddings, corporate events, film/photo shoots); (3) the Old Oakland Farmer's Market, billed as the oldest running open-air farmer's market in the country, operating weekly on Fridays; and (4) supporting programming such as a seasonal ice rink and curated monthly pop-up marketplaces (HEAD WEST, Mercado Latinx). Leasing is represented externally by Transwestern and Chromatare.
The underlying "technology" is the physical, historically designated real estate itself: earthquake-retrofitted Victorian structures with preserved period features, supported by public infrastructure improvements (cobblestone gutters, brick sidewalks, historic street lamps) developed with support from the City of Oakland's Redevelopment Agency. The firm is founder-led by Petra Frenkel and Gordon Byun, with 11–50 employees, no public funding history, no disclosed revenue, and no parent company or technology platform.
Old Oakland firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Old Oakland
- Legal name
- Old Oakland
- Website
- https://old-oakland.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Old Oakland is a privately held operator of a 10-building historic Victorian retail and dining destination in downtown Oakland, leasing 70,000+ SF of retail and office space, running the nation's oldest open-air farmer's market, and hosting events for tenants, visitors, and the local community.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Old Oakland is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oakland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Old Oakland business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Old Oakland product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Old Oakland operates a mixed-use historic commercial real estate destination in downtown Oakland, California, encompassing 10 restored Victorian buildings across two city blocks with over 70,000 SF of retail space. Core offerings include retail storefront leasing, office space leasing, and short-term event venue rental, complemented by a weekly Friday farmers market and curated pop-up marketplaces. The property is positioned as a curated retail, dining, and event destination serving SMB and mid-market tenants in the Bay Area.
Product overview
Old Oakland is a physical retail, dining, and event destination venue in downtown Oakland, California, not a software technology company. The core offering comprises multiple interconnected services: the main retail destination featuring 10 historic Victorian buildings with shops and restaurants; the Old Oakland Farmer's Market (the nation's oldest running open-air farmer's market operating since the 1990s); event venue space rental for various occasions; and commercial real estate leasing for retail and office tenants. Additional programming includes the seasonal ice rink, HEAD WEST monthly marketplace, and Mercado Latinx pop-up market. Tenants include Blue Bottle Coffee, Saucy Oakland, Square Pie Guys, Sweetgreen, and others.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- HEAD WEST Marketplace: A monthly marketplace curated and managed by Jimmy Brower of WEST PERRO, providing a platform for new and emerging brands to have a physical selling space in the East Bay of San Francisco.
- Mercado Latinx
- Old Oakland Farmer's Market
Products and services
- Old Oakland Retail Destination A physical retail and dining destination in downtown Oakland featuring 10 historic Victorian buildings, local and national retail shops, concept stores, bars, and restaurants, operated as a curated mixed-use commercial property.
- Retail Leasing Commercial retail space leasing opportunities within historic Victorian buildings, offering over 70,000 SF of available retail space in the largest preserved Victorian building block on the West Coast, marketed to independent and national retail brands.
- Office Leasing Office space leasing within historic Victorian buildings featuring modern amenities combined with period architectural details such as grand staircases and ornate mouldings, marketed to small businesses and creative office tenants.
- Event Venue Space Rental
- Old Oakland Farmer's Market
- HEAD WEST Marketplace Monthly curated marketplace providing a physical selling space for new and emerging brands to showcase designs, hand-made goods, and unique talents, managed by Jimmy Brower of WEST PERRO.
- Mercado Latinx Bay Area's first Latinx Pop-Up market, showcasing small, local Latinx arts, creators, and way-makers, held regularly at Old Oakland.
- Seasonal Ice Rink Seasonal ice rink feature within the Old Oakland destination, contributing to the year-round entertainment and event programming.
Quantifiable outcome
- The oldest running open-air farmer's market in the country
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Old Oakland
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Old Oakland technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Old Oakland partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- HEAD WEST MarketplacecoreA new monthly marketplace curated and managed by Jimmy Brower of WEST PERRO, providing a platform for new and emerging brands to have a physical selling space to showcase their designs, hand-made goods and unique talents.
- Mercado LatinxcoreThe Bay Area's first Latinx Pop-Up market, showcasing small, local Latinx arts, creators and way-makers with regular pop-up events at Old Oakland.
- Downtown Business Improvement District (BID)coreOld Oakland is located within the Downtown BID which provides street ambassadors, ongoing marketing efforts and other activities to support the neighborhood.
- TranswesterncoreReal estate brokerage representing Old Oakland for retail and office leasing, contact: Jake Norton at +1 925 360 9746
- ChromatarecoreReal estate brokerage representing Old Oakland for retail leasing, contact: Jamie Flaherty-Evans at +1 510 334 8606
- City of Oakland Redevelopment AgencyminorSupported the historic restoration including public space improvements such as repaved streets, cobblestone gutters, brick sidewalks, and historic street lamps. Restoration occurred with agency support.
- BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)minorThe 12th Street/City Center BART station is located 1 block from Old Oakland, providing convenient public transit access for visitors.
- Alameda/Oakland FerryminorFerry service connecting San Francisco Ferry Building, PIER 39, Alameda and Angel Island to Jack London Square, with approximately 10-minute walk to Old Oakland.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Old Oakland competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Rockridge Market Hall: East Bay curated food hall and retail destination in Oakland's Rockridge neighborhood. Directly comparable as a Bay Area destination combining specialty food/retail tenants, events, and foot-traffic-driven concept mix.
- Santana Row: Mixed-use San Jose destination combining retail, dining, office, and event space in a single walkable district. Comparable business model with multi-revenue-stream commercial real estate operation anchored by a curated tenant mix.
- Pier 39: San Francisco waterfront retail, dining, and entertainment destination combining specialty retail, restaurants, and event venues. Comparable as a destination retail property that monetizes through leasing, events, and visitor experience.
- Fourth Street Berkeley: Curated Berkeley retail district combining specialty retail, dining, and offices in a walkable urban setting. Comparable as a Bay Area mixed-use destination with a similar curated, destination-driven tenant philosophy.
- Ghirardelli Square: Historic San Francisco retail and dining destination occupying a restored complex of 19th-century buildings. Directly comparable as a preserved historic property repositioned as a specialty retail/dining destination with national and local tenants.
- Ferry Building Marketplace: Historic San Francisco Ferry Building operating as a curated marketplace with local food purveyors, retail, events, and a farmer's market. Closely comparable to Old Oakland's mix of specialty retail, food tenants, and its recurring farmer's market.
- Jackson Square San Francisco: Historic San Francisco commercial district of restored 19th-century buildings housing retail, galleries, and offices. Comparable as a preserved Victorian-era district operated as commercial real estate with a curated tenant mix.
- Jack London Square: Oakland waterfront retail, dining, and event destination operated as a mixed-use commercial district. Directly comparable to Old Oakland as a curated Oakland destination combining historic character, retail leasing, restaurants, and event venue programming.
- The Cannery SF: Historic San Francisco adaptive-reuse property offering specialty retail, dining, and event space. Comparable as a restored historic building complex repositioned as a curated retail/dining destination.
Others
- Heritage Square Museum: Los Angeles historic preservation site operating restored Victorian buildings for public tours and events. Adjacent comparable given Old Oakland's historic preservation aspect, though Heritage Square is a nonprofit museum rather than a commercial operation.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Old Oakland social profiles
Digital presenceOld Oakland financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Old Oakland leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Old Oakland funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Old Oakland M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Old Oakland
What does Old Oakland do?
Old Oakland operates a mixed-use historic commercial real estate destination in downtown Oakland, California, encompassing 10 restored Victorian buildings across two city blocks with over 70,000 SF of retail space. Core offerings include retail storefront leasing, office space leasing, and short-term event venue rental, complemented by a weekly Friday farmers market and curated pop-up marketplaces. The property is positioned as a curated retail, dining, and event destination serving SMB and mid-market tenants in the Bay Area.
Is Old Oakland a public or private company?
Old Oakland is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Old Oakland founded?
Old Oakland was founded in 1980. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Old Oakland based?
Old Oakland is headquartered in Oakland, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Old Oakland's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Rockridge Market Hall, Santana Row, Pier 39, Fourth Street Berkeley, Ghirardelli Square, Ferry Building Marketplace, Jackson Square San Francisco, Jack London Square and The Cannery SF. Heritage Square Museum is listed as an others.
Does Old Oakland have an API?
No public API is recorded for Old Oakland.