Berkeley Bowl is an independent grocery store in Berkeley, California.[1] Founded by Glenn and Diane Yasuda,[2] it sells organic and natural products and is known for its extensive produce section. In 2008, the Los Angeles Times wrote that it was "[Berkeley]'s most popular grocery store" and "one of the nation's most renowned retailers of exotic fruits and vegetables."[3] It has two locations in the city.

Berkeley Bowl
IndustryGrocery Store
FoundersGlenn and Diane Yasuda
Headquarters
Berkeley, California
,
United States
Productsfruits and vegetables, groceries
WebsiteBerkeley Bowl
The Berkeley Bowl produce section.

The business name is a reference to the former bowling alley that became the store's first location.[1]

History

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In 1977, Glenn and Diane Yasuda opened a small neighborhood market in a converted building that formerly housed a bowling alley at 2777 Shattuck Avenue.[4][5] At the time, Glenn was teaching business education at a local college. By the late 1990s, the business had outgrown the building, and in 1999 it moved renovated and moved to a former Safeway supermarket, at 2020 Oregon Street.[6]

In 2002, labor organizers pushed to unionize the store's 250 employees. In 2004, but after a series of disputes, the National Labor Relations Board accused the company of "pervasive and serious" labor issues that prevented a fair election.[6][7] The company reached a settlement that year, recognizing the United Food and Commercial Workers as representatives of Berkeley Bowl workers, and paying but not reinstating two employees who claimed that they were unfairly fired.[7]

In 2008, John Glionna, a staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, wrote an article with some negative comments about the store. [8] In response, Glionna was banned for life from the business.[9][10]

In 2009, the business opened a second location, Berkeley Bowl West. In 2010, the union was decertified after an employee vote.[11]

In 2020, Glenn Yasuda died at the age of 85.[12] Yasuda’s son, Gen, took over the running of the two stores in Berkeley.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b Tager, Sally (September 19, 1984). "Want 15 kinds of lettuce, 5 kinds of berries? Try the Berkeley Bowl". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved June 3, 2012.
  2. ^ de Turenne, Veronique (June 16, 1999). "Bowling for Produce". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 3, 2012.
  3. ^ Glionna, John M. (September 22, 2008). "Where the nuts are off the shelf". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 21, 2017. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  4. ^ Batey, Eve (February 20, 2020). "Glenn Yasuda, Co-Founder of Famed Produce Mart Berkeley Bowl, Dies at 85". Eater SF. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  5. ^ Wasman, Sharon (August 3, 2005). "You Think You've Got Tomatoes". The New York Times. Retrieved June 3, 2012.
  6. ^ a b Romney, Lee (October 30, 2003). "Labor Fight Seen as Un-Berkeley". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Raine, George (August 11, 2004). "Berkeley Bowl joins union after long fight". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  8. ^ Glionna, John M. (September 22, 2008). "Where the nuts are off the shelf". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  9. ^ Glionna, John (September 25, 2008). "On getting banned from the Berkeley Bowl". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Lin, Sarah Belle (February 20, 2020). "Glenn Yasuda, who made Berkeley Bowl internationally known for its excellent produce, dies at 85". Berkeleyside. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  11. ^ West, Jackson (June 26, 2010). "Berkeley Bowl Soon to Be Non-Union Again". NBC Bay Area. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  12. ^ Acosta, Gina (February 20, 2020). "Berkeley Bowl Founder Glenn Yasuda Dies". Progressive Grocer. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
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