Oakland’s Home of Chicken and Waffles closing for good after more than 20 years

OAKLAND, Calif. - An Oakland soul food institution is closing its doors after more than 20 years in business.

The Home of Chicken and Waffles will serve its final Southern comfort food dishes later this month, bringing an end to a restaurant that has become a fixture in the Oakland community.

More than two decades in 'The Town'

What they're saying:

"Twenty years ago, I opened these doors because I wanted to build a place where Oakland could come home to good food and good people," founder Derreck Johnson said. "This restaurant was never just mine — it belonged to every family that celebrated a birthday here, every young cook who came through our training program, every regular who walked in and got treated like family from day one. Closing this chapter isn't easy, but I'm proud of what we built together, and I'm grateful beyond words to this community for two decades of love and support."

Closing planned for late August

What we know:

The restaurant did not share a specific reason for the closure or provide an exact date for its final day. It said only that it would permanently close in "late August."

What could come next

Johnson hinted at exploring new ventures but did not provide details about what could be next.

He said, however, that any future endeavor would carry forward the same spirit of hospitality, purpose, and community that helped make the Home of Chicken and Waffles what it became.