Above Andres Giraldo Florez’s Snail Bar, a cafe sits at the top of the stairs. Uniformity is not central to the design aesthetic. Formerly an apartment, the conversion from someone’s living room into a retail space remains informal. The curtains, sofa cushions and blanket throws belong to another era. One in which Stevie Nicks’ “Gypsy” would feel right at home. An abstract painting is mounted on the ceiling. Multiple light sources and multiple chairs face in multiple directions. With a hifi system playing mood-enhancing music, Upstairs is a cozy neighborhood third place with comfort built into its DNA.
While Florez is in rural France establishing an auberge, Sammy Chang is the creative director at Upstairs. In practice, that means she’s in charge of everything. From making the espresso drinks to cooking the food, Chang manages the operations. Chang, who hails from the OC, worked in the coffee and music industries before Florez hired her.
Chang’s best friend is Jules Butt, Florez’s wife. “One day I was complaining about making, like, 700 bucks every two weeks in the Bay, struggling to get by,” Chang said. At the time, Florez’s Snail Bar sous chef had just broken his wrist and he needed to fill the position. “We kind of just looked at each other, and that’s how I ended up starting to work at Snail Bar,” she said.
Without previous kitchen experience, Chang learned everything on the job. “I started from the bottom all the way up, and I’ve been here for five years now,” she said. After a brief return to Los Angeles, Florez called to ask her if she’d be interested in opening a cafe and lounge upstairs. “I was like, sure, so then I moved back up.”
Chef Zach Breaux, who specializes in French Louisiana-style cooking, is in charge of Snail Bar’s kitchen. The wine bar and restaurant opens at 5pm, Friday to Monday. Upstairs is a separate operation that opens at 9am and closes at 3pm. “We’re in a transitional period because the sous chef is about to start their own restaurant in the city,” Chang said. “And then we’re going to be getting a new beverage director.”
Before Florez went to France, he and Chang had brainstorming sessions about the food and beverage concepts. “Ultimately for me: Also how it can be a community space in Oakland,” she said. When Chang was flying solo, she dealt with the bureaucratic job of finalizing permits. “With all the things I learned downstairs, I feel like it’s a culmination of all the things I’ve learned.”
Upstairs is in its soft-opening phase. Or as Chang describes it, “really bare bones.” The food menu isn’t fixed. In its current iteration, Chang is making toast with butter and jam ($8); English tea toast ($12); a bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich; and weekly specials. Savory hand pies ($9) with apples and comte cheese were a recent special. For beverages, the menu includes espresso and matcha drinks plus seasonal specials such as the PSL ($8), a pumpkin spice latte made with fairytale pumpkin concentrate.
“People love PSL, but I didn’t want it to be just random,” Chang said. “This current PSL syrup I made, I got an actual pumpkin, roasted it from scratch all the way to finish.” She’s also having to factor in economic challenges. “When I went to L.A. there was a coffee that was $10, so the fact that our most expensive coffee item is $8—and it’s the special of the week,” she said. “With that in mind, if I’m going to go to a cafe and spend essentially $10, that better be a good coffee, right?”
During this early phase of the Upstairs opening, Chang is gathering as much information as possible to see who’s coming in and what they’re looking for. “My initial thought was just keep it simple, keep it easy and make sure it’s good,” she said. “As we keep on progressing into the next month, I definitely want to start popping off a little bit with the food ideas and such.”
Upstairs, 4935 Shattuck Ave., Oakland. Open Fri-Mon, 9am to 3pm. IG @upstairs_oak
