Oakland, CA – Sweet Fingers, a beloved Jamaican restaurant displaced by a fire in 2019, will celebrate its grand reopening on Saturday, January 29. The $1.3 million buildout occupies 3,300 square feet in East Oakland’s Seminary Point shopping center. The name “Sweet Fingers” came about as one co-owner so savored the flavors of the signature Jamaica Me Crazy chicken that she licked her fingers and proclaimed them sweet. The public can savor these finger-licking flavors Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
“Sweet Fingers brings a culinary destination to the heart of East Oakland’s Seminary Point shopping center,” Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said. “Sweet Fingers is also a shining example of how a locally-owned small business, in partnership with the City, can have a deep community impact and attract more businesses to the neighborhood.”
During its 17 years of operation in Sacramento and San Leandro, Sweet Fingers’ award-winning Oxtails, Curry Goat, Jerk Chicken, seafood and veggie dishes have captured accolades including Best of East Bay Winner three times, a People’s Platelist Finalist, Best Curry Goat and Best of the Bay Jamaican Restaurant. The restaurant’s food has attracted sports figures and celebrities over the years.
“The grand re-opening of Sweet Fingers Restaurant is like a phoenix rising from the ashes – reborn better and stronger,” said District 6 Oakland City Councilmember Loren Taylor. “It is fitting that their new location is in the heart of Central East Oakland where we are driving a similar rebirth and revitalization, by bringing opportunity where it is has been missing for decades.”
Born and raised in Jamaica, Chef Clive arrived in the U.S. at 18 and attended Culinary School in New York before working his way to supervising Chef at the Top of the World restaurant. His offer to help a cousin saved him from the tragic fate of his colleagues on 9/11. Adrift after that tragedy, he made his way to California at the invitation of a cousin. Recognizing the lack of authentic Jamaican cuisine he grew up on, Chef Clive and his business partner and trusted friend Roxanne Mosley launched Sweet Fingers. The restaurant operated for 4 years in Sacramento and 13 years in San Leandro before a fire struck.
“East Oakland is buzzing with growth and opportunity and we are excited about adding our legacy to this community,” exclaimed Roxanne Mosley, Co-owner of Sweet Fingers!
Seeking to nurture the community that has warmly welcomed it, Sweet Fingers is working to partner with U.S. Bank to provide meals for youth at the East Oakland Youth Center and Genesys Works.
The restaurant buildout was funded by personal investors, proceeds from their fire insurance claim and a $45,000 Tenant Improvement Program grant from the City of Oakland. Designed by Eric Shephard Architects and built by DuCheney Construction, the restaurant’s interior features gleaming black subway tiles, an intricate wooden quilt art piece, sleek granite counters and a stunning mural painted by Kiss My Black Arts, a group of local muralists who create beautiful murals, many of which are located in Oakland. This particular mural depicts a relaxing beach scene and a traditional island food stand with Chef Clive cooking over the outdoor fire. The space has seating for 78 diners, 3 bathrooms, and a VIP dining/ conference room that seats 12 for dinner by reservation only.
The restaurant’s new home is located in Seminary Point, a 27,000-square-foot retail/commercial project at the corner of Foothill Boulevard and Seminary Avenue that was completed in April 2018. The center is anchored by a freestanding Walgreens store with a wellness center and a drive-thru pharmacy. The Project represented a $15 million dollar investment in East Oakland by Oakland-based Sunfield Development, LLC, on a City-owned 1.69-acre site with primary frontage on the southwest corner of Foothill Boulevard, Seminary Avenue and Bancroft Avenue. The City supported the Seminary Point project by providing the land, neighborhood streetscape improvements, New Market Tax Credits in partnership with Boston Private Bank & Trust Company and Capital One, N.A. The City of Oakland provided a $2 million loan and a $1.5 million line of credit from former Oakland Redevelopment Bond Funds and $14 million in New Market Tax Credits.