guerilla cafe closed

guerilla cafe at 1620 shattuck avenue in berkeley quietly closed earlier this week; today a letter was posted in the front window.

opened in 2006, the berkeley cafe was a vibrant hub for art, coffee and community, founded by andrea ali, red bay coffee's keba konte and rachel konte, when they took over the counter space that had been smokey joe's for three decades.

along with serving north shattuck's discerning, coffee- and food-loving crowd, guerilla supported and celebrated poc-owned businesses and chefs, and provided a vibrant destination to hang with friends. founded by artists, the cafe was also always intended as a gallery space, with frequently changing, often politically-charged exhibits, with a focus on social justice and diversity.

the kontes sold their portion to ali in 2017, and she maintained the cafe's leftist, art-focused energy for the rest of the cafe's lifespan, which came to a close last weekend due to the end of its lease and upped rent.

"we celebrate every meeting that brought about positive change in the world, and to all the smiles shared," says the closing note on guerilla's front window (posted in full, above). "we thank you. we out."

guerilla cafe at 1620 shattuck avenue in berkeley has closed.

december 2, 2025