Hillary Clinton meets with Mayor Schaaf during Oakland stop

OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton spent about an hour with Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and a handful of other community leaders on Friday.

The meeting took place inside the Home of Chicken and Waffles, a restaurant on Oakland's Embarcadero at Jack London Square.

The purpose was to hold a round-table discussion on how to better create opportunities for those who are struggling and how Clinton might help.

"We can use the White House as a bully pulpit. We don't want a bully in the White House but we can use the White House as a bully pulpit to talk about issues," said Clinton with a laugh.
    
Only a very small group of people got to see the former Secretary of State.

One of them was an Oakland woman who happened to be ordering breakfast when Clinton and her entourage walked in.
      
"Then I found out what was going on. I spoke to her," said Carolyn Mixon of Oakland.
       
The restaurant owner said he found out just last night he would be hosting the event.

Home of Chicken and Waffles is known for hiring people just out of jail or prison.
 
"She is very down to earth, very relatable. Much different than what I see on TV," said Derreck Johnson, the owner of the restaurant.
        
"I want to know how the federal government and me in particular can be a better partner," said Clinton.

The roundtable discussion centered on such issues as affordable housing, crime prevention and protecting those most vulnerable,
    
"She really was listening, asking questions, digging deep into the different stories and examples she was hearing," said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf.

Outside the restaurant a crowd of about 50 people gathered, hoping for a glimpse of the candidate.
       
"We haven’t been able to see her. We're hoping she'll come out the front door after the event," said Lisa Walther of Oakland.

But it wasn't to be. Clinton came and left out of a back door away from public view.
         
Clinton was escorted to Oakland Airport. A campaign staffer told us she was headed back home to New York.